The Lion that Seeks to Devour

Digital on photo paper | 24” x 54”

Taking pictures of 3 people in history; fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and Ethiopian English professor, Asfaw Malaku.

I “shredded” each person, rearranging their “digital DNA”, and created a distinct new pattern for each person. I then took that pattern and created a symbol that represented each person’s life.

Mussolini is depicted as the “Devil who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8 Haile Selassie is depicted by a Coptic cross, as he was widely known in his country to be a Christian, and a direct descendant of King Solomon.

Asfaw Malaku is depicted as an apple, long associated as a symbol for teachers. In this case there is a bite out of the apple, as this particular lion directly impacted the professor and the direction Mussolini’s attacks took his life from the time he was a young child.

There is a strong local connection with this piece as Asfaw Malaku’s daughter, Nunu Asfaw Campbell has been attending Golden Hills Church for the past 20 years.

Local missionary Jodie Collins helped smuggle 10 of Haile Selassie’s great grandchildren out of Ethiopia during the revolution, and Golden Hills parent church, Fair Oaks helped support the great grandchildren after the assassination of Haile Selassie.

Selassie and Malaku both out lived this roaring lion. Who are the roaring lions in your life?