Silvester’s on-going relationship with the tribes of Southern Ethiopia has produced two previous series of photographs, Natural Fashion and Les Peuples de l’Omo, in which he captured the extraordinary self-decorating practices of the people of the Surma and Mursi tribes. These paintings on the facade really belong to their lives they make the people’s everyday lives more beautiful.” The magnificence of Silvester’s photos not only results from his incomparable work as a photographer, but also from his understanding of the people of the Bench tribes, who have been welcoming him into their community since 2008. “What touched me with these paintings is the modern look of the patterns. Due to the tropical climate, the frequent rain necessitates the regular re-painting of these beautiful decorations, lending an ephemeral nature to this art.įascinated by the Bench tribe’s painting practices and astounded by the beauty of their art, Silvester captures the diverse and extraordinary effects that they achieve through their ancient tradition. It is the women and girls of the tribe who make these paintings with their fingers. Rendered in white, yellow, orange and ochre, the natural pigments used are derived from the soil, rocks, and plants of the surrounding environment and combine to create a vast palette of colors. Both interior and exterior walls are painted with schemes that range from abstract geometric patterns that repeat mesmerizingly to depictions of flowers and animals. The interior of each house is divided into two sections: one for the animals and the other for the family.

They construct their huts with wood and mud, and cover the walls with a plaster mixture of straw, earth, and cow manure.

Predominantly farmers, these people use centuries-old tools to grow small quantities of coffee, mangos, manioc, sugarcane and corn on the unforgiving land. The people of the Bench tribes live in isolated hamlets of six to twelve huts in the mountains outside of the city of Mizan, speaking their own language.

Silvester’s photographs capture the astonishing beauty of their intricately painted homes, inviting viewers to discover new ways of seeing and appreciating this area. This is Silvester’s third show with Marlborough in New York and will feature approximately twenty photographs of the extraordinary wall paintings found in the houses of the people of the Bench area in Southern Ethiopia. The Directors of Marlborough Gallery are pleased to announce that the exhibition of photographs by Hans Silvester titled Painted Houses: Southern Ethiopia will open at Marlborough Gallery on Octoand continue through November 23, 2013.

Natural Fashion by Hans W. Silvester