Sosina Mengistu's Pandemic Self-Portraits Chronicle Uncertainty and Hope
In 2020, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Ethiopian photographer Sosina Mengistu initiated her project titled So I See Me, capturing self-portraits that delve into her anxiety regarding the future. While completing her engineering degree at the University of Gondar, she spent eight months in Bahir Dar, where she concentrated on self-portraiture. One notable image features her beside a barren branch, symbolizing her uncertainty. After graduating and relocating to Addis Ababa, she encountered a six-month job search but persevered with her photography, ultimately deciding to pursue it as a full-time career. From a collection of thousands, she published approximately 153 self-portraits that resonate with the uncertainties faced by many young individuals.
Key facts
- Sosina Mengistu is an Ethiopian photographer.
- Her project So I See Me began in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- She was in her final year of an engineering degree at the University of Gondar.
- She stayed with her uncle in Bahir Dar for eight months due to travel restrictions.
- The self-portrait with dry branches was taken around the seventh month of the pandemic.
- She graduated, moved to Addis Ababa, and spent six months without a job.
- She eventually left engineering to pursue photography full time.
- She selected and published about 153 self-portraits from thousands taken.
Entities
Artists
- Sosina Mengistu
Institutions
- University of Gondar
Locations
- Ethiopia
- Gondar
- Bahir Dar
- Asosa
- Addis Ababa