Sumaya Ali is a solicitor and photographer based in Birmingham. Her practice is rooted in employing conceptual and documentary photography in an exploration of the human spirit. To that effect, the essence of her subjects and their stories are authentically captured.

On Their Shoulders (2020) is Sumaya’s first exhibition which is exhibited on a permanent basis at her alma mater, the University of Leicester, School of Law.

Your Hair is Good Hair (2021) was exhibited at the Birmingham Contemporary Art Gallery. The exhibition was conceived from Sumaya’s journey towards accepting and celebrating the natural curl pattern and texture of her hair, while also challenging society’s projection of a singular hair aesthetic. Behind the visuality of the images is a wealth of history that connects hair to race. From the Tignon Laws in Louisiana, USA in the 1700s, to apartheid South Africa’s ‘pencil-test’, discriminatory constructs around afro textured hair which have for centuries, created a ripple effect that still exists today. The exhibition gives insight into the experience of individuals with afrocentric hair/hairstyles. It integrates each portrait with a personal narrative, a gesture of agency in order to counter hair conformity and celebrate the beauty of diversity.

Seasons of Solitude (2022) was exhibited at Ort Gallery. The exhibition explores the universal lens of the Covid-19 pandemic to examine facets of isolation and solitude. Moving away from her disposition towards traditional portraiture featured in her previous exhibitions, she looked to expand her practice and delve into the world of conceptual photography. Through her in-depth research, she gleaned that while common threads may interweave our perspectives on the subject matter, our feelings on solitude as well as how we perform aloneness, are multi-faceted and encompass an amalgamation of emotions. These authentic experiences and their nuances are what her diverse visuality presents to the viewer. One may find for instance that loneliness does not require physical solitude or that joyful sentiments are not always an antithetical response to being alone.

Sumaya’s photographs have also been featured in a Sky documentary titled Untold Stories: Hair on Set (2023) where the British actress and filmmaker Fola Evans Akingbola has a candid discussion with people of colour on TV and film sets. Together, they give insight into their experiences and the impact of the lack of knowledge, expertise and consideration in relation to the styling of Afro/curly hair on set. The cast includes Naomi Harris (Moonlight, Skyfall), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game Of Thrones, Fast & Furious), Nahel Tzegai (The Swimmers, Miracle Workers), Davida Jala (Star Trek) and Verona Rose (Top Boy).