What makes his imagery so captivating is that they are frozen spotlights; technicolour vignettes of the marginalised and elderly crafted in a style all his own. He says “the best camera is the one that’s always with you” and he’s been able to explore this hidden talent due to the discreet and innocuous nature of his phone. Berta is acutely aware of the cultural aversion Ethiopians have to photography. Photography is often perceived as being exploitive and only recently began re-emerging as a popular fine art and advertising medium. But for Berta, “a picture not viewed isn’t a picture but a lifeless thing.”

If this is true, what are the implications for the unseen and the hidden; the millions of voiceless faces that dredge onward for survival, and are often reduced to statistical obscurity in the name of development politics. Who gives them new life? Who collects their stories? Berta is part documentary photographer, part fine art storyteller. He is able to capture the mundane and reframe our gaze, revealing details we would have overlooked if not for his unique perspective. He is also working on a book that delves deeper into this definitive style of work while exploring other lesser-known parts of Ethiopia.

AKAA runs from 11 to 13 November at Carreau du Temple, Paris

Metasebia Yoseph is a culture and design enthusiast living and working in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is creative director at Gallery 26, founder of Design Week Addis Ababa , and author of A Culture of Coffee