Solomon Mekonen

Solomon Mekonen is a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Social Anthropology, University of Oslo. He holds affiliations with the Faculty of Social Sciences. His research focuses on visual anthropology, decolonization, and the anthropology of the future. Mekonen earned a Master of Arts in Visual and Media Anthropology from Freie Universität Berlin (2018), a Certificate in Practical Film Making from Met Film School Berlin (2016), and a Bachelor of Arts in New Media Communications from Assumption University of Thailand (2014).

• Education:
• PhD Candidate (ongoing) at University of Oslo
• M.A., Freie Universität Berlin (2018)
• B.A., Assumption University of Thailand (2014)

His work includes award-winning ethnographic films like Emails to My Little Sister (2018), recognized at multiple international festivals. Mekonen’s research bridges visual methods with critical inquiries into identity, race, and decolonial futures.

• Awards:
• 2019 Student Film Award (Vizanthrop Festival)
• 2021 Audience Award (Afrika Film Festival Köln)
• 2022 Honourable Mention (Tokyo International Short Film Festival)

Mekonen has taught as a Lecturer in Visual and Media Anthropology at HMKW Hochschule, Berlin (2020–2021). His 2021 publication in Under Construction: Performing Critical Identity explores Black identity formations in Berlin through autoethnographic lens.