Sona and Soma

The Well’s True Body Project is a long-standing program dedicated to helping teens and people of all ages grapple with the complexities of living in a human body. Sona and Soma is the culmination of a 10-week youth apprenticeship program in the summer of 2024 in partnership with ArtWorks, during which young people ages 14–20 explored mindfulness, movement, and concepts of performing identity via sonas—masks or avatars—and the internalized lived experience of having a soma, or body. Inspired by photographers including Cindy Sherman, Ana Mendieta, Shirin Neshat, and Cincinnati-based photographers who served as mentors, Sona and Soma features new photographic work by Cincinnati-area teenagers with an accompanying catalogue.