Sumiah Salloum (b.1992) received a BFA and departmental honors in photography from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She currently resides in Boston but bases most of her work where she grew up in western MA to explore topics within her family’s identity.

Statement from the artist:

“Family is often the subject of my photographs. This series of images explores two significant sociopolitical topics happening within my family. My aunt and cousin immigrated to America from Lebanon to start a new life while still honoring their native Arab culture. While this was happening, my sister recognized her gender dysphoria and started transitioning to be a male. Both are different, but have a common theme of displacement and yearning. The 8×10 black and white traditional portraits signify transformative occurrences within the domestic arena, while the medium format color allows me to get physically closer to the subject. People are constantly changing, but these instances direct one to a new world. Photographing this transitory period happening makes my work inherently political.”

The following images were featured in Basement Babes issue 10: