Alia Ali: Introducing Alia Ali
My work is dedicated to those hidden in plain sight — the migrants — it is a reminder of our royalty that once was, and still is— the beauty in our color, the poetry in our narratives and the song in our accents. If we are not honored by others, then we have the power to honor each other.
My work is dedicated to (you/us).
-Alia Ali
This December, Gilman Contemporary will introduce the work of Alia Ali, an artist with roots in Yemen, Bosnia, and the United States. Ali explores themes of identity, displacement, transnationalism and migration through photographs that blur the line between portraiture and abstraction. Figures are enveloped in vibrantly patterned cloths that obscure identifying characteristics. Every portrait is presented in a hand-upholstered frame, crafted from the same fabric depicted in the photograph, extending the work beyond its visual borders.
For Ali, fabric is a powerful symbol of acceptance, resistance and life. From the swaddles of infancy to the shrouds of death, textiles accompany us through every stage of existence. Ali’s work embraces the nuances of cloth and the weight of its meaning. Her work embraces both the beauty and complexity of cloth and its ability to protect and conceal, to define and transform. Each piece invites viewers to consider how fabric shapes our perceptions of ourselves, the world, and one another.
