Somalia is often dubbed the “nation of poets”, but now more and more young Somalis are expressing themselves with photos rather than words.

Last year, British-Somali poet Warsan Shire’s work made it onto Beyoncé’s Lemonade album, sparking a huge interest in the spoken word and poetry.

But more and more Somalis are moving on from traditional forms to more visual works of art, such as photography and fine art.

The art often reflects their own experiences and diasporic communities. For example, British-Somali Amina Adan mainly photographs Somali communities in the UK. But Somalis don’t just tell their own stories: Canadian-Somali Amaal Nuux’s photography includes pictures she took while volunteering in an orphanage in Uganda.

Photography is being used as a form of expression for the Somali diaspora on social media too, with some Somalis amassing thousands of likes by sharing their experiences on social media. While the photos are all aesthetically pleasing, there is more than meets the eye.

Mohamed Mohamud, 24, London

Mohamed Mohamud, a 24-year-old graduate of Brunel University London, founded the viral Somali storytelling platform, Somali Sideways.

He first got into photography while at university by taking classes with hopes of improving his technical skills. Shortly afterward he launched Somali Sideways, which began as a personal project: He would take photographs of people standing sideways and post them online. Soon he started receiving submissions, and the website evolved into a space where Somalis across the globe could share their stories.

Why photograph people sideways? He was drawn to the concept, Mohamud said, because people choose to share certain aspects of their lives, keeping other stories private: “In the beginning I thought [the name] was weird but then I realised it’s the weird thing people remember. And so the project was about taking photos of Somalis standing sideways in London. Then later throughout the years, it excelled exponentially. It has taken me places I never even dreamed of going. So Alhamdulillah.

“Somalis are generally not shown in a positive light and the only way to combat them are project such as this and others go there taking continue to break those stereotypes that are portrayed towards Somalis in the UK. … So [on] one side it’s about sharing stories [you] wish to share with people, and the other side remains a mystery to the reader.”

Mohamud said the platform’s been well-received. “People loved the idea and I felt it was a duty for me to share amazing stories from our people,” he said. “Especially what’s going on in the media toward Somalis – I feel like it’s even more imperative to carry on.” He aimed to make the platform relatable and for any Somali to be able to share something.

Family and friends thought he was “going bonkers” when he explained the project to them. “They believed it was something weird and people would not react to it as much,” Mohamud said. “They still support me regardless, and I thank them so much for it.”

Though he received a death threat and abuse when he first started Somali Sideways, Mohamud said most of the feedback, from Somalis and non-Somalis, has been amazing.

He has received submissions from high-profile Somalis such as YouTuber and blogger Hodan Yusuf and musician Aar Maanta. “I was so surprised when celebrities from the Somali community were in support and decided to take part.” Aar Maanta’s submission – a message about building an orphanage in memory of a friend who passed away – has been the most memorable for Mohamud, and it still inspires him to this day.

When Mohamud traveled to Minnesota, home to a large Somali community, he was showered with much love and support: “So many people knew this project and I was so happy to witness it. That’s when I realised this was a great platform,” he said. “People have sent me photos from China, Costa Rica, Canada, Australia, UAE to name a few.”

Amina Adan, 22, London

Amina Adan, a business accounting graduate from northwest London, creates photographs that focus on the lives of Somalis living in Britain. She first picked up a camera for fun and found taking pictures of people to be one of her favourite things to do, she said.

Adan said that she doesn’t do photography full-time because she worries she wouldn’t love it as much as she does now. “I know they say do what you love and love what you do but I feel like it has to be right balance,” she said. “It’s more of a getaway from the rest of the world.”

Adan’s parents were oral storytellers, but over time there have been more ways to tell stories. “I think with the civil war that happened, a lot of people used photography to document the journey that everyone went through, or they used art.”

“Orally, the story changes as it goes along whereas with photography, with art, once you take that picture, the picture stays forever. It doesn’t change, so I think that’s why Somalis are drawn to photography and fine art.”

Adan is avid Instagram user. She described social media as this generation’s “version of standing in the street and shouting something out.”

She said that before social media, a lot of published news and platforms discussing Somalis lacked an actual Somali input. “Social media has given the opportunity for you to connect with someone on the other side of the world who you have one thing in common with, which is your Somalinimo [Somali identity].

“Without this, we would still have older Somalis stealing the limelight to represent ‘Somali views’, when in reality, they never spoke for anyone in the community.”

“Another great example is how British-Somali uni students raised over £45,000 for the famine and drought in Somalia in their Somali societies by creating a narrative via social media. I definitely think if social media is used the right way like those examples, claiming and telling our narrative would be a lot easier.

“There have been many instances where Somalis have complained about not having anyone to tell our narrative, but my simple advice is if there’s no one to tell it, you tell it, you reclaim it, utilise platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube to create a space which we can all be proud about and support one another.

“There’s a Somali proverb that says ka muuqo ama ka maaqno – be seen or be absent. And that’s what you have to do to claim our stories. Tell it ourselves.”

When asked about being a woman in the Somali media industry, Adan said: “It’s dominated by men. Journalists are men, cameramen, and even they find it fascinating to see a Somali girl.”

Amaal Nuux, 29, Toronto

Amaal Nuux, a 29-year-old independent singer-songwriter, was born in Mogadishu and relocated to Canada once Somalia’s civil war broke. An artist working in many genres, Nuux primarily wrote poetry before she took up singing; thus her familiarity with spoken word traditions. And while she’s had much success in her musical career – Nuux was previously signed to a production deal with Noah “40” Shebib (Producer for OVO and Drake) but didn’t release any music through it and recently performed in London for her first European tour – her newest passion is photography.

While working at an orphanage in Uganda in 2015, Nuux took many photographs, and began posting them on Instagram, using the hashtag #AmaalNuuxPhotography.

“My photos have always been about showing true humanity. I never take any photos without permission from the subject,” Nuux said. “I want to show their strength, resilience, and unwavering faith while maintaining their dignity.

“We have all seen too many pictures of African kids hungry, malnourished, and sick. Although this exists not only in Africa but around the world, it’s not an accurate depiction. I just hope to show the true beauty and strength within people.”

The photo below became part of the promo for her single “Who We Are”, – one of the ways in which she’s combined her skills in both photography and music.

The lyrics from Nuux’s latest song, “Last Ones”, send a message of strength and hope in the face of adversity for those from marginalised communities:

Speaking about the perception of Somalis in the US following the election of President Donald Trump, Nuux, who travels to the US frequently, said: “Somali people have actually helped boost the economy of the state of Minnesota and other cities they reside in. They are a powerful economic force.

“Too many people have formulated their own opinions about Somalis, and a lot of their ideas come from the media. The media has done their share of polarising the whole country. We, the Somali diaspora, are the ones who have now been changing the narrative.”

She added: “Visually documenting and displaying the beauty of our country in order to dismantle the world’s view of who we are as a people.”

Ubah Abdirahim, 20, Leicester, UK

Ubah Abdirahim is from Leicester and a university student at De Montfort University. Though she only recently turned 20, she’s already a seasoned photographer. She said that when she was staying in Kenya for three years between 2011 and 2014, she didn’t actively take photos but her love for photographing things came into play.

“It made me appreciate moments and memories so after Kenya I was pretty much obsessed,” Abdirahim said. “Back then it was more about enjoying it in that moment.”

Eventually those efforts to capture memories and friends (and take selfies) transformed into a part-time job photographing weddings. But her true passion lies in taking candid photos, as well as photos of nature, she said, because those are the things that drive her to think deeply about life and Allah.

Abdirahim said that being young and having to convince people to take her seriously was a hurdle: “People use that as a reason for you to not be good. For example, people try to take more advantage of you if you’re young – like it’s just a joke to you.”

Her family members have been very supportive of her hobby – particularly one relative who tends to be brutally honest, who said her pictures were really good.

Eventually Abdirahim wants to move on from wedding photography. “You don’t see it as a money thing. It’s not like a side hustle. I don’t think about it as getting money. I wouldn’t want it to be my full-time thing, either.

“I feel like social media is a great platform to show non-Muslims that even with our Islamic garments we’re all the same, and we share the same interests.

“I feel as though I’ve found my way of expressing myself as both an individual and as a Muslim through photography.”

Mabdulle, 22, London

Photographer Mabdulle said he started taking photos for fun when he was 15 years old. His parents gave him a camera, so he started photographing his friends at school.

He still takes photos purely because he loves doing it. “My favourite ones are the ones that basically you look at for more than five seconds, and you actually start to raise an eyebrow.”

Now 22 years old, Mabdulle has amassed over 18,000 followers online, having joined Instagram when it was first launched. “I had a basic Instagram, like the typical Instagram, where everyone posts selfies and stuff. And then probably, like, end of 2014 to 2015, that’s when I jumped into my photography,” he said.

And in that year Mabdulle said his profile started to gain more recognition: “In 2015, I started to get a bit of a following. People were commenting on my photos. People were messaging me for advice, and I’m just there, like, I’m still learning I can’t give advice.”

Mabdulle said he continued to upload photos every day and he met up with photographers who he now calls his best friends. “London has a big photography community but every photographer knows each other or knows of each other, which is cool.”

In 2015 he got his first job as a photographer through Instagram. “Someone hit me up on Instagram and said, ‘Hey, we’re doing a piece for Complex x Puma, and we’d love for you to take photos,’ and I realised, Shit, I can actually make a good living from this. And that’s when I started to take it seriously.”

In terms of what he sees himself doing in the future, Mabdulle said: “If a fashion campaign interests me, I’ll do it. A documentary, a tour, anything, really, like whatever happens.”

This year he was one of the photographers on Stormzy’s UK tour, something he describes as “one of the best experiences of my life. Being able to take photos every day, it was a sick, sick experience. Just waking up every day shooting shows, travelling to different cities, capturing the vibe, which is awesome.” He said the highlight was getting to see new parts of the UK.

Talking about representation, Mabdulle said it matters. “At the end of the day everyone has different experiences in life. My experiences are different from everyone else’s experiences and my photos are the story of my life – the experiences, the places I’ve been to, the things I’ve gone through,” he said. “It’s just about my narrative, and my representation rather than someone else’s.”