Mysterious Portraits by Atong Atem

Sudanese photographer, Atong Atem, creates work that often feels bright, bold, and full of quiet mystery. A lot of her creations focus on self-portraiture, with Atem placing herself confidently and directly in front of us.

In many of these images, she looks straight out at us, but never gives everything away. Her face is painted in colourful patterns that can feel alien-like, cosmic, or starry, almost like she is carrying a whole universe on her skin. Her face paint transforms her into something mysterious that we, the viewers, hope to uncover.

Her face paint almost seems like portals - taking us into the universe within. See some of Atong’s works below.