Who is Sumaya?
Sumaya is a multidisciplinary artist. Her migration background is a great source of inspiration. Her father is Algerian, her mother is half Somali, half Yemeni. She never knew her grandparents. Yet she often longs for them and for her countries of origin.
In 2021, she applied her creative energy in collaboration with FOMU and around the theme of escapism. She has also exhibited at Het Paleis. She uses art to translate her thoughts. Art is communication, a universal language for everyone.
Sumaya has her say
In my art, I try to see my tradition and culture through the eyes of my grandparents. What effect did migration have on them?
And how has migration shaped my identity? Did it make or break me?
It takes a lot of courage to start a conversation about migration. What traumas have you experienced, and how do you communicate because of them and about them? For her, art is an important medium to keep the conversation alive.
You don't have to talk, just look and feel.
What is homesickness?
Homesickness for me is the unknown, a sense of loss and a longing for what should have been Migration plays a very important role here. The impact of migration creates many questions among us: who are we? Where do we belong? And what were the stories of our grandparents?
I want to heal from the unknown by embracing homesickness.
