Sosena Solomon

Sosena is a social documentary filmmaker, photographer, and visual artist whose art for social change work focuses on visually documenting personal narratives of underrepresented communities that are facing some aspect of change. As an Ethiopian-American who comes from a family of storytellers, she seeks to capture a moment in time before it disappears. By doing so, she hopes that these experiences can live on so that other generations may engage and learn from them. Sosena documents marginalized communities and subcultures and engages audiences through discussions of her work. She also conducts a travelling interactive installation experience that allows people to engage with multimedia art and each other. Sosena’s goal is to culturally preserve and share unheard voices, offering her viewers, as well as herself, a deeper intimacy and understanding of others. 

Sosena will create Project MERKATO, a multi-media installation, comprised of audio and visual platforms that include still photographs, physical objects, recorded sound and film. The project is based on social documentary work that explores the personal testimonies of people who live, work and dream in the largest open-air market in Africa—in Ethiopia.  The work is intended to preserve and document a cultural experience that is rapidly transforming.   Project MERKATO will be a traveling exhibit bringing a cross-cultural experience that highlights the important themes of cultural preservation and storytelling.