Malou Sumah is an artist, educator, and teacher with a passion for participation, textiles, heritage, and stories. As a maker, she moves between museums, classrooms, and communities. She develops educational projects and artworks that connect. Co-creation, ownership, and story sharing are central to her work.
Her work is rooted in heritage and family histories. With her background in Cultural Heritage and Arts and Visual Arts Education, she transforms textiles and everyday objects into carriers of new stories. In doing so, she bridges past and present, with themes such as family, migration, history, and identity serving as guiding principles. As a Dutch and Moluccan professional, she proudly shapes an inclusive cultural sector.
As a textile artist, she enjoys sharing her passion with others. She translates this into participatory art projects in which working with textiles takes center stage.
Residentie bij Gastatelier de Vindplaats
During my residency at Gastatelier de Vindplaats, I explored how art invites children to take ownership. I placed a loom and cushions to create a space for slowing down and meeting. The process was central: I let go of my working method to make room for the children's stories. Together, we created a tapestry as a shared memory, with the work growing and taking an unexpected turn through their contributions.
Aan Tafel
"What memory do you have of the dining table?" This question was central to *Aan Tafel* (Allard Pierson, 2025). I developed a growing tapestry centered around the dining table as a place of meeting. Through in-depth interviews with eight residents, I collected stories as the basis for the textile work. During the *Amsterdam Eet* exhibition, visitors added personal rituals, tastes, and memories, causing the work to continuously grow. Also executed for Boijmans Zuid (2024) and *Heilige Huisjes Rotterdam* (2026).
Wij (L)eren
During the summer holidays of 2023, I created the room divider 'We Learn' with children from the ELJA Children's Museum Lab. We explored the Maasdammer collection and the history of slavery. I shared my working method, after which each child produced their own panel. The question of whom they wanted to honor and why served as a starting point to reflect together on freedom and the meaning of this past for the present. The work has been acquired by the Amsterdam Museum.