The inaugural workshop convened leading scholars, manuscript specialists, contemporary painters and traditional art practitioners in order to establish the research framework, refine the methodological approach and coordinate the technical architecture of the image database.

The project is directed by an international research lead and delivered through a collaborative team of art historians, manuscript scholars, digital humanities specialists and practising artists, in partnership with the Hamere Berhan Institute. The database and metadata component forms a core pillar of the initiative, integrating rigorous scholarly analysis with advanced digital documentation practices to ensure sustainable preservation, structured discoverability and long-term accessibility of Ethiopian manuscript heritage.

A central objective of the project is the systematic study and articulation of “The Way of Hezq’el”, examining the distinctive artistic grammar associated with the Gondarine master painter Hezq’el. Research focuses on his characteristic use of line, colour palette, symbolic vocabulary, compositional sequencing, iconographic conventions and the theological interplay between biblical text and visual narrative.

Beyond documentation, the initiative seeks to contribute to the revitalisation of Ethiopian manuscript painting traditions by working alongside one of the remaining centres of traditional manuscript production in Ethiopia. Through research, training and digital dissemination, the project aims to strengthen both the tangible and intangible dimensions of Ethiopia’s biblical visual culture, ensuring that this heritage is preserved, interpreted and transmitted for future generations.