Paola Viesi is a professional photographer working mainly in Africa.

After classical and humanistic studies in Rome and a nearly fifteen formative years at Olivetti, works for ten years as a Human Resources Top Manager at Telecom Italia, Italy’s main telecommunication company.

With the intention of living a second life, she decides for early retiring to follow her great passion for travelling and the arts. After a first trip to Ethiopia, she moves to Addis Ababa, where she is based since 2002, spending most of her time travelling in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ethiopia sparks her interest for culture, art and people.
Starts travelling extensively throughout the country taking photos with a special aesthetic touch and a sense of classical beauty.

After the success of her photos for UNESCO’s Communication Campaign for the return and the re-erection of the Axum Obelisque, she starts a five years collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline, travelling and taking pictures in 16 Sub-Saharan countries.

Known for her fearless and long expeditions, her attraction to people takes her travelling to remote places, where she starts taking pictures of great gatherings to holy places with her capacity of capturing magical and unique emotional moments in people’s lives in her vibrant portraits.

In 2007 starts a fruitful collaboration with Slow Food, travelling and focussing on Rural Communities and Fishery Projects, documenting many differents Slow Food projects and Presidia throughout Africa.

After 150.000 kilometers mainly on rough roads travelling with her car in 30 African countries, her intention is only to continue to travel more throughout the world, taking more pictures of people, places, unique events and artwork with her tireless creative energy.