This December, Gilman Contemporary is proud to present the work of Alia Ali, a photographer and installation artist whose practice investigates migration, the body, and cultural dichotomies through the combined languages of photography and textile. With roots in Yemen, Bosnia, and the United States Ali is herself a product of transnationalism. Her work is inspired by the ways movement and displacement shape identity. In each portrait, the figure is obscured beneath carefully draped textiles that envelop the body. These photographs are then displayed in handmade frames upholstered with complementary fabrics, extending the visual language beyond the image and creating a heightened sense of three-dimensionality. The result is a dynamic interplay between abstraction and portraiture.

This introductory exhibition brings together works from several of Ali’s series, including the richly embroidered blues and golds of Jade, the psychedelic swirls of Warp, and the tailored fashion sensibilities of the Liberty series. Each piece speaks to the intersection of diverse identities and cultural histories that are held in both body and cloth. Ali works with artisans whose textiles honor the traditions and histories embedded within each woven piece of cloth.