Photo of the Week: Hassan Ghonim

In Iași, Romania, Hassan Ghonim spent a day walking with a woman named Ioana and talking about questions neither of them appeared particularly equipped to answer. Life came up. So did identity, uncertainty and the search for meaning. Ioana was a visual artist; Ghonim, an Egyptian photographer from Alexandria, was in the city for an art residency. Somewhere after the talking came a portrait.

It is an appropriate sequence for Ghonim, whose photographs tend to begin with people before they begin with pictures. Working across documentary photography, storytelling and portraiture, he is drawn to the private material that does not always volunteer itself for the camera - doubt, belonging, emotional complexity, the distance between how a person appears and how it feels to be them. Conversation is often his way in. The photograph of Ioana, taken in 2024 after one particularly demanding exchange, has stayed with him - partly for what can be seen in it, and partly for everything that happened before it.

What’s the story behind this image? Where and when was it taken?

This is one of the images I feel most connected to. It was taken in Iași, Romania, in 2024, during an art residency. The person in the photograph is Ioana, a visual artist I met during my stay there. We spent a long day walking through the city, talking about life, uncertainty, identity and the search for meaning. The conversation moved through many questions without arriving at clear answers, but it created a space for honesty and openness.

This portrait was made after one of those long and emotionally demanding conversations. For me, the image carries the feeling of that encounter and the vulnerability we shared.

Why did you choose this particular image?

I chose this image because it reflects both my personal journey and the way I approach photography. Much of my work begins with conversations, trust and the desire to understand how people experience themselves and the world around them.

I am interested in creating encounters where people can reveal parts of themselves that are rarely visible. This photograph embodies my interest in intimacy, emotional complexity and uncertainty. It also reflects many of the questions and doubts that continue to shape my own relationship with life and existence.