who we are
Soomaal House of Art (Soomaal) is a Minnesota-based Somali artists collective that works with students, emerging, and established artists find artistic community, mentorships, and opportunities.
Moving forward, we hope the collective action of this group will lead to sustained partnerships with Minnesota institutions and, together, inspire more Minnesotans, especially Somali Minnesotans, to harness the power of art as a tool for intellectual and civic engagement.
Soomaal House of Art provides a platform for Somali visual artists who want to create and use art to shape and frame critical discourse around vexing local and global issues of our time.
guiding principles
The collective understanding amongst the
artists are as follows:
1. Own the creation/presentation of all facets of their art;
2. Normalize the possibility of a career in the visual arts for Somali youth;
3. Advocate for policy work that will foster and advance Somali visual arts;
4. Create opportunities for Somali visual artists to produce and exhibit their work;
5. Offer role models for young Somali artists;
6. And hold annual art exhibitions.
staff
Khadijah Muse is the co-director and co-founder of Soomaal House of Art. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations such as administrative, budgetary and fundraising. Khadijah works closely with our community partners to make sure we are accountable to them.
In addition, Khadijah is a visual artist and art organizer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her practice is greatly influenced by her commitment to community building. Khadijah uses art as a tool to explore interpersonal and environmental relationships using various mediums including photography, woodworking, sculpture and installation.
Mohamud Mumin is the artistic director and co-founder of Soomaal House of Art. His responsibilities at Soomaal include curation, writing, developing, documenting and presenting exhibitions.
Mohamud is a photographer and visual artist. He is the recipient of many awards. Mohamud’s work has been exhibited in community spaces, galleries and museums in the United States and abroad.
Kaamil A. Haider is the co-director, co-founder, and archivist of Soomaal House of Art. His responsibilities at Soomaal include administration, design and exhibition management, and oversees the archival collections of Soomaal House Library & Archives Center.
Kaamil is a visual artist, graphic designer, archivist, and public historian. Through his practices, he researches the nuanced relationships between objects, shared meanings, and the heritage of contemporary Somali art, with a particular focus on language and memory. Kaamil incorporates diverse cultural, archival and oral references in his work.
Khadija Charif is the director of marketing and communications of Soomaal House of Art. Her responsibilities at Soomaal include providing resources for the artists, planning marketing strategy and public relations.
Khadija is a visual artist and poet based in Minnesota. Her work examines the relationship between community and the self in relation to faith, gender, race and mobility. Her projects are embedded in the fabric of her culture and identity in the hopes of igniting curiosities and conversations alike.
Wasima Farah is the graphic designer and creative strategist of Soomaal House of Art. Her responsibilities at Soomaal include implementing creative strategy, marketing and overall design of the collective.
Wasima is a visual artist based in Minnesota. Her works varies from vibrant illustrations centering women of color, graphic designs and videography. She is inspired by women empowerment and uses primary colors to express a bold and confident message. Her goal is to create art that others can relate to, feel the message and be motivated from.
Muna Scekomar serves as the media strategist and documenter at Soomaal House of Art. She is responsible for media planning, production, and documentation of exhibitions and programs.
Muna is a community storyteller and educator, passionate about empowering women, particularly Muslim women, to control their narratives in the media. Muna is the founder of Beautiful Light House studio and the co-founder of The Digital Sisterhood podcast.