Rae was born in San Diego, CA and raised in Michigan. By merging traditional and experimental methods with the assembling of a mythological language, she archives stories that references the dynamic geography of her ancestors within the US and their rich oracions and practices centering textiles and their derivatives. While receiving her BA from Wellesley College and working with and researching plants and art across professional disciplines at academic and cultural institutions domestically and abroad (MIT, Harvard, Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea, Zoma Museum), she sought out opportunities to deepen her understanding of black American and diasporic relationships to upcycled creation.