Ella Mayamothi Sommeil is a British based photographer and director, her work explores ideas of comfort and identity. The foundations of her practice are informed by her Bangladeshi and Guadeloupean heritage; themes of displacement and longing are firmly rooted in her work.
Named after her maternal Grandmother, she continues the work of the griots in her family. Often using medium format photography and (more recently) sound, she produces work as an act of libation. Through her work, she extends an invitation to audiences, encouraging them to join her in an insightful exploration and critical examination of colonialist notions surrounding blackness.
Using archives, books, cameras and textiles, her world building work is an ode to the resistance and resilience of her community.
Ella is currently an artist in residence at Mayfield Depot, working on an archival project connecting the legendary ‘Black Angel’ club night to the techniques of cultural resistance born on the plantations.
contact: mayamothi4@gmail.com
Above:
Visiting family, Guadeloupe September 2022