Tresses in the Tide

By eva birhanu

Tresses in the Tide represents the intersections of Black identity and natural acts of defiance, weaving together the strength of human and ecological survival against all odds. This body of work stems from years of personal research by Calgary-based artist eva birhanu. It explores themes of racism, colonialism, diaspora, and survival, with a particular focus on the enduring strength of Black bodies in the face of historical and ongoing oppression.

As a seasoned weaver and textile artist, birhanu employs techniques rooted in traditional and digital weaving practices to delve into these narratives. This exhibition presents a new series of large-scale tapestries, most of which were created during a two-week residency at the Praxis Fiber Workshop Digital Weaving Lab in Cleveland, Ohio. Utilizing the advanced capabilities of the TC2 Jacquard loom, these works embody a convergence of technology, craftsmanship, and conceptual depth.

The inspiration behind Tresses in the Tide lies in the parallels between Black communities and the defiance of natural ecosystems, particularly coral reefs. Over centuries, Black populations have demonstrated extraordinary acts of survival and resistance in the face of systemic violence and exploitation. Similarly, coral reefs—despite facing environmental degradation, climate change, and industrial encroachment—continue to adapt and endure, nurturing life and ecosystems around them. These dual narratives of defiance and thriving form the conceptual core of this series.

This selection of work is part of a broader exploration within birhanu’s practice that unpacks ideas of diaspora through the concept of portals or gateways. She views portals as a means of communicating a liminal space—a time in between, a link to another world, or way of being. These portals often take the form of natural entities such as the ocean or manifest through metaphor in text. This phenomenon overlaps with her practice’s foundation as an introspective, research-based journal of her lived experience as a Black woman living and working in the Canadian Prairies.

By threading together the stories of coral reefs, Black histories, and the notion of portals, Tresses in the Tide creates a space for reflection on the profound capacity to resist, adapt, and flourish against all odds.