Artist Statement:

Father Figure: Deconstructed is a series of photographs that capture the different aspects of my father, Tefera Abe. Growing up, I idolized and observed everything my father; imitating the way he talks, trying to fit in his shoes, attempting to shave and sitting on the driver’s seat even though my legs were too short to reach the pedals. I was dedicated to getting his attention.

Subconsciously mimicking his traits i started getting a better understanding of his personalities and logics. I started seeing the different layers of my father, not only as a father but as an individual. This understanding was liberating psychologically because I was able to understand his actions and comments. It was more like putting pieces of a puzzle together and finally seeing the whole picture.