Terae Soumah

artist, author, activist

About the artist

Terae Soumah is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intimate connections and obligations between individuals, communities, and the natural world. She investigates themes related to identity & belonging, leadership & change, ethics & social justice, and youth & the wisdom of traditional African leadership.

Terae has traveled and lived in west and central Africa for 16 years, raising her children, creating art, and embracing the unfamiliar.  

She resists the traditional greeting, “Where are you from?” instead preferring, “Where have you been?” or simply, “Tell me more…”

Terae is…

determined
a performance director
a mural painter
grateful for joy
a listener
a community leader
a lover of earth
a studio painter
a salsa dancer
energized by creative spaces
a provider and protector
comfortable anywhere
willing to step outside her zone
afraid of the cold
in love with bold color
passionate about African art & history
a drinker of tea
in search of her village
a bit of a dreamer
a fan of African markets
a questioner
not afraid of public speaking
outraged by injustice
someone who brings people together
called by the African drum
a curator
a believer in bare feet
a coach and mentor
not as tall as she used to be
not afraid to try
fond of blue doors
a scholar
a maker
an adventurer
classic
interested in hearing more

Publications, Presentations, & Exhibitions

La resistencia. [Art exhibition]. Centro Cultural Paraguayo Americano. Asuncion, Paraguay. April 2025.

Fostering Transformative School Culture: A Holistic Approach to Building Student and Teacher Wellness. [Presentation]. Ghana ASCD International Educators Summit. with Janay Washington, Accra, Ghana. July 2024.

Grandpere; Puissance de la femme. [Acrylic on Carton]. Rencontres Internationales des Peinture de Ouagadougou (RIPO). Burkina Faso, selected artist, February 2024.

Gemena Perspectives. [Photography]. Ntongo Elamu Arts Center, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), October 2023.

Ciel bleu, terre rouge. [Photography]. London Art Biennale, selected artist. UK. July 2023.

Threads of Time. [Visual Art Exhibition]. Eden Cultural Center, Gemena, DRC. June 2022. 

Threads of Time. [Visual Art Exhibition]. Ntongo Elamu Arts Center, Kinshasa, DRC. July 2022.

Avec la clé: Opening the future by unlocking the past. [Social Change Project]. Performance: Kinshasa, DRC. July 2021.

Avec la clé: Opening the future by unlocking the past. [Social Change Project]. Presentation: Union Institute & University (UI&U), United States. August 2021.

Lumumba: Called to Lead [Paper Presentation]. UI&U. United States. January 2021.

Youth movements tackle “Big Man” leadership in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [Article]. Penumbra, Special MLK Issue. June 2021.

You are not alone. [Visual work] Penumbra, 7, 77, September 2020.

Community Art as a Call for Social Action in Kinshasa [Presentation]. UI&U, January 2020.

Art in Community- Creative Response to Social Trauma [Workshop]. UI&U. with Raul Manzano, July 2020. 

Croisement. [Art exhibit, Traditional dance performance, Community literacy project].  Sleeping Camel Gallery and the American Cultural Center Gallery, Bamako, Mali. with Drissa Konate & Solo Sana, 2019.

Bénéfice des  enfants. [Art exhibit, Dance performance].  Grand Hotel, Kinshasa, DRC. with Aicha Muteba, 2013.