The Bridge of Bulbula (Signed by Quentin de Briey)

Various photographers
The Bridge of Bulbula (Signed by Quentin de Briey)

Photographs: Quentin de Briey & Achraf Issami

Publisher: LSD

80 pages

Year: 2025

Price: 55 €

Comments: Unbound in a cardboard dust cover, 40 x 29 cm. Including a folded poster printed on both sides. First edition of 500 copies. Signed by Quentin de Briey.

These photographs were taken in Bulbula, a small town in Ethiopia we came across during a brief assignment in the region winter of 2020.

It is located approximately 200 km south of the capital, Addis Ababa. The bridge sits at the center of the village, dividing Bulbula into two very different parts while also serving as the heart of the community. Each day, residents cross it on their way to work, school, or the local market—some on foot, others in tuk-tuks, and some on the backs of animals. Others take the time to pause and enjoy a refreshing moment by the river. Many carry their purchases: fruit, chickens, tools, or household utensils— always with an incredible sense of style and color. A cattle market is organized every Wednesday by the river down the bridge, attracting people from the surrounding villages. For most, Bulbula is just a small town to pass through on their way south to Hawassa or north to Addis. However the beauty of these ordinary moments and the daily routine of this rural area of Ethiopia stayed with us long after we returned home, and the idea of going back never left our minds. Five years later, we made our way back to Bulbula—this time dedicating
two full days to portray the community and the life around the bridge, from sunrise to sunset.

Achraf & Quentin have been friends for 25 years, this is their first photography project together. The first part of the journal are Quentin’s photos, the second half are Achraf’s.

Biggest thank you to Nataniel and Teddy in Addis for making this project possible.
All photos processed by LSD and Achraf Issami.