Inner Calm, Outer Connection

Inner Calm, Outer Connection: Moments in Mogadishu is an exhibition featuring the works of eight female photographers based in Mogadishu. The title reflects the themes the photographers were exploring, which was to document spaces, places and people close to their hearts. The result is incredibly moving and personal photographs that illuminate each photographer’s subject matter. Their keen and candid eyes have captured spaces and moments in Mogadishu, which feel entirely unique to them.

People sitting around a colorful mat, sharing plates of popcorn and dates, with some holding cups of tea or coffee.

Casriye / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Meet the Photographers

Yusra Dahir Mohamud,

Theme: The Sea

Yusra likes the sea very much. She feels one is able to experience different kind of living or work on the beach. Life seems different there, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Is a place she often goes to, sits on the beach and observes the different activities, as they unfold on beach and in the sea.

A white seashell on sandy beach, casting a shadow.

Seashell / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

A person dressed in black, wearing a hijab, sunglasses, and a face mask, against a plain white background.

Untitled / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Aisha Hassan Zubair,

Theme: Everyday Mogadishu (Diversity in people and urban life in Mogadishu)

Aisha’s subject matter was the diversity of her hometown Mogadishu. She loves how cosmopolitan her city is and how diverse the people who live in it are. She wanted to document some of the diverse people she comes across in her neighbourhood, particularly, the people she greets everyday to and from her house.

A young man with dark skin, short curly hair, and bright blue eyes, wearing a black collared shirt with a red Nike logo, standing outdoors with buildings and a cloudy sky in the background.

piercing eyes / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

People gathered around a colorful woven mat, sharing plates of popcorn and dates, with some holding glasses of a dark beverage.

A ray of hope / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Two people stand in shallow water near the shore, with a large boat or ship floating on the water in the background under a cloudy sky.

Man helping his mom at lido beach / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Journey / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

A person standing on the edge of the ocean at sunset, with a sheer curtain blowing in the wind, overlooking the water and a colorful sky.
A rocky cliff with layered sedimentary formations and a sandy ground at the base, under an overcast sky.
A group of people dressed in bright orange traditional clothing walking on the street in front of a building with colorful signs and murals.

Lady In Pink / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Person dressed in black, wearing a gold watch and black head covering, holding white powder in their hand over dark clothing.

Hafsa Abshir Mohamed,

Theme: Casiriye (Hanging Out in the Afternoon)

Hafsa wanted to capture close female friendship in intimate settings – women in their own spaces. She wanted to document some of the customs and practices of women spending time together, away from the world, in their own way.

Group of five women wearing colorful traditional African clothing, engaging and smiling on a rooftop with a city skyline and sunset in the background.

Gabdho / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Three boats floating on the ocean under a cloudy sky with the sun behind the clouds, with reflections on the wet sand near the shore.

Lido beach / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Zahra Abdullahi Nur,

Theme: Nostalgia

Zahra is inspired by the past, by a time when, as she says, “life was easier, or at least people had more freedom”. For that reason, Zahra choose the oldest district in Mogadishu, Hamar Weyne, as her location. She wanted to give a glimpse into how “we used to live”.

A woman dressed in black Muslim attire, including a niqab, sitting on rocky terrain in a desert-like environment with sandy ground and rugged cliffs in the background.

School Polizia / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

A woman wearing a pink headscarf and matching pink dress, sitting against a blue and white wall by the ocean, holding a woven bag with purple and yellow patterns.

Hinda Hussein Ahmed,

Theme: Blissful Solitude on the Beach

Hinda’s favourite place in the whole world is the beach. Whenever she has something on her mind, she usually goes and sits on the beach and watches the water go by. She finds comfort in the calmness of the beach. She wanted to explore that bliss she feels on the beach, usually on her own. Even when she goes with friends, she will sit away from them and take it all on by herself.

A person wearing a red veil or shawl, holding their hand with a gold ring near their waist, standing against the backdrop of a sunset over the ocean.

Lady In Pink / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Casriye / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

A man standing against a stone and brick wall, wearing a jacket and black pants.

Young girl / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Lady In Pink / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Schoo polizia / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Middle school girls going to school / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Untitled / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Person sitting inside a rocky cave overlooking the ocean, with land formations visible in the distance.

School Polizia / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Close-up of a red fabric with a soft, semi-transparent appearance, hanging against a plain, light-colored background.

Saida Mohamed Ahmed,

Theme: Refuge

Saida wanted to capture her favourite place, where she seeks refuge whenever she needs to time for herself. This area near School Polisia in Mogadishu, is a small sandy enclave surround by rocks on the beach. Saida likes the calmness and quiet between the rocks and the shelter they provide.

Dunes / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Young girl at Madrassa / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Gabdho / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Haajira Hussein Warsame,

Theme: Inner Peace

Haajira takes photographs to make memories. She also has great appreciation for architecture, in particular, places that hold significant cultural heritage value. For her individual project, she wanted to explore the remains of the old Roman Catholic cathedral in Mogadishu, through the lens of ‘calm, inner peace and solitude’. She considers the cathedral’s architecture beautiful and its uniqueness, fascinating.

A person's arm and hand reaching towards a textured, beige-colored brick wall. The person is wearing a long-sleeved dark shirt.

Reaching / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

A woman dressed in traditional Maasai attire, lying on her back with her arms outstretched, wearing beaded jewelry and a headscarf, with a large woven decorative piece featuring a clock face in the background.
Group of children, with one girl smiling, standing outside a makeshift shelter with a red floral patterned fabric wall. The girl in the front wears a teal headscarf and holds a cardboard sign with Arabic writing. Other children are behind her, some peering from the shelter's entrance, with shoes scattered on the ground.
A group of women wearing black hijabs and yellow shirts, lying in a circle with their heads close together, smiling and looking up at the camera.
A woman wearing a hijab with a honeycomb pattern is smiling with her eyes closed. Sunlight creates shadows of the hijab's pattern on her face. She is standing against a light-colored stone wall.

Confident / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022

Hani Mohamed Abdi

Theme: Our Heritage

Hani is very much inspired by Somali cultural heritage. She likes the clothes and finds them very beautiful, but more importantly, she fears that people in Somalia have forgotten their customs. She wanted to centre her individual project on showcasing the beauty of Somali traditional attire and how proud and regal they make the wearer feel and look.

Profile of a woman wearing a red headscarf decorated with multiple strands of white pearls, rhinestone earrings, and a beaded necklace against a black background.
A woman dressed in traditional African attire and headwrap, holding a guava fruit, seated in front of a colorful woven textile backdrop with small containers of food or condiments in the foreground.

Uunsi / Mogadishu, Somalia 2022