Interview with Zainab Sumu as told to Tori Weston.
Please tell us about your background and how you came to Somerville.
I was born in Sierra Leone, west Africa raised in London, England and Paris, France.
I graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art & Design’s Fashion and Textiles Program in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to that, I ran an eponymous boutique featuring the work of Junya Watanabe, Azzedine Alaïa and Martin Margiela, among other bespoke brands in Los Angeles, California.
I launched my textile brand Zainab Sumu Primitive Modern in 2015 and I stumbled upon a space on Harrison Avenue in SoWa that became my studio for over five years. At the beginning of 2020, just a few days prior to the pandemic lockdown, I decided it was time to explore new opportunities somewhere warmer. I planned to move to California.
I created a home studio where I continued to work throughout the lockdown and in 2021, I launched my fine art studio, Studio Znabu that focuses on woven sculpture, sculptural couture and painting. After two years of working at home, it became clear that I needed a dedicated space to work and shortly thereafter a friend sent me a message on Instagram about the availability of one at 57 Central Street. As soon as I saw it, I knew that it was perfect for me. I love Somerville’s cultural diversity and the way the community embraces and supports the arts. It has such a unique and loving environment that allows artist to thrive.
At what age did your creative journey begin?
I have been on this journey since I came to be. I received my first sewing machine at the age of eight but had long since been fascinated by craftsmanship. I distinctly remember being transfixed watching mama’s jeweler go through the steps of turni
ng gold dust into a piece of jewelry. I was fascinated by the hands ability to transform the seemingly mundane into an object of desire and value. I believe this experience coupled with watching mama create Gara-(a type of Shibori ) in our compound and growing up around the wonderful hand crafted textiles that she collected planted the seed that has now blossomed into my current art practice.
Who or what inspires your work?
Daily life inspires me - the everyday, captured moments, my travels to Africa and its people, nature, and aesthetics.
What is your favorite medium to work in?
I love textiles in all their forms such as the tactility of fiber in addition to the spontaneity of watercolor on paper.
How do you determine which medium a piece will be in?
The medium is dictated by what inspires me at that particular time. The cultural touchstone, the stories and the people that have moved me in my research provide me with the inspiration. And, the rough sketches of my ideas provide me with the direction.
How does one find your work?
At my studio on 57 Central Street here in Somerville that’s open by appointment only, on my website at www.studioznabu.com and on my Instagram @znabusumu_art.
Zainab Sumu, October Artist of the Month
