Adia Gibbs
- Interdisciplinary 2025
Adia Gibbs is a Portland-based visual artist originally from New York.
She holds a BFA from Parsons School of Design and an MFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art. As an African-American artist, her work is deeply rooted in the excavation and preservation of the past, exploring the intersections of memory, ancestry, and time. Through her practice, Gibbs seeks to reconstruct the threads of ancestral history lost through chattel slavery and the mid-Atlantic system of enslavement, fostering a dialogue between the present and the past.
Gibbs creates what she refers to as “ancestral artifacts” by weaving together textiles, photographs, organic matter, china, and vintage tools of domesticity and carpentry. Her work embodies a sacred presence, balancing spiritual and physical dimensions. She is particularly drawn to the processes of decay and transformation, viewing erosion as a marker of time and life. The interplay between organic and manufactured materials in her pieces evokes a profound connection to history, while also emphasizing the cyclical nature of existence. Her art speaks to the enduring power of memory and the ways in which we engage with both history and the natural world.
Gibbs creates what she refers to as “ancestral artifacts” by weaving together textiles, photographs, organic matter, china, and vintage tools of domesticity and carpentry. Her work embodies a sacred presence, balancing spiritual and physical dimensions. She is particularly drawn to the processes of decay and transformation, viewing erosion as a marker of time and life. The interplay between organic and manufactured materials in her pieces evokes a profound connection to history, while also emphasizing the cyclical nature of existence. Her art speaks to the enduring power of memory and the ways in which we engage with both history and the natural world.
