March 27, 2024

Sights and Colors of Ethiopia

Posted for The Art Park
Bay Leader

Photo by Jeffrey Clark, JefClarkArt

Photo by Jeffrey Clark, JefClarkArt

Local photographer Jeffrey Clark returned to Ethiopia, this time armed with his camera. He brings back,  “the brilliant colors used in Ethiopian fabrics, churches and the decorative arts; the generous accents of red, green and yellow glitter in the perfect sunshine.”

Mr. Clark  is an amateur photographer who lives on St. George Island with his wife Jo Ricks. He and his photo site JefClarkArt inaugurated the Where in the World Is That photo series on LexLeader. Answering the last WiTWiT quiz correctly won him the invitation to share his shots here. (It wasn’t very hard to win the right. He didn’t guess correctly.) The recent sojourn to Ethiopia is his first leisure visit after leaving 33 years of US Government service that included travel to Ethiopia. (The WiTWiT judges wanted a glimpse.)

“We were lucky,” Mr. Clark says of his 15 day sojourn, “to be there during wedding season, which made things especially pleasing to the eye as we witnessed all of the beautiful young women decked in gorgeous dresses and head scarves, accented by gold necklaces and rings.  It was a visual treat every day.”

AdigratLandscape6! (Small)

Photo by Jeffrey Clark, JefClarkArt

Ethiopia is home to an ancient culture dating back to  King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, around 900 BC. The country was one of the first in the world to convert to Christianity, in the early 4th Century AD.

“Because Ethiopia was never successfully colonized by the European powers during the 19th Century, its traditions, religion and language have not been distorted by outside influences,” Mr. Clark said. “Many people in the rural areas live as they have for centuries. The cities are more modern.  We were surprised to find WiFi connections in even the smaller cities.

Ethiopia is approximately twice the size of California and has many distinct regions and populations including nomads and highlanders as well as savvy businessmen.”

AdigratSchoolgirl!! (Small)

Photo by Jeffrey Clark, JefClarkArt

In the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lalibella in the Amhara Region in the North of the country there are 11 churches from the 13th Century AD carved from solid blocks of rock.

AdigratSchoolboy12! (Small)

Photo by Jeffrey Clark, JefClarkArt

“Hundreds of children came out to greet us as we drove or walked along country roads and paths,” Mr. Clark said. “Children who live with very few material resources have a very positive attitude about life if their smiles are any indication,” he said.  “One great thing we saw was a newly constructed elementary school supported by USAID and the American non-profit Pact.  School enrollment now exceeds 90 percent in a place where that number hovered around 30 percent for many, many years.”

“Vast stretches of the countryside resemble the American West, including parts of the Grand Canyon and other national parks,” he said.  “There were blooming jacaranda trees and bougainvillea and huge cacti with brilliant red blooms everywhere.  Layered on the beautiful background we kept encountering these dazzling wedding celebrations; we were told that due to weather and crop harvesting cycles, most weddings in Ethiopia are scheduled for January and February.  This must be accurate as we saw so many beautiful brides and handsome grooms.”

Photo by Jeffrey Clark, JefClarkArt

Photo by Jeffrey Clark, JefClarkArt

Jeffrey Clark operates the JefClarkArt studio from his residence on St. George Island.  He invites LexLeader readers to contact him (via [email protected])

“If anyone is interested in seeing or obtaining photos from this incredible adventure, I took over 1,000 shots!  There was so much to try and capture on film.  I would be pleased to share a few with those interested,” he said.

Photo by Jeffrey Clark, JefClarkArt

Photo by Jeffrey Clark, JefClarkArt

 

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