Alia Ali
Yemenite, 1985
Alia Ali (b. 1985) is a Yemeni-Bosnian-US multimedia artist whose work delves into cultural binaries and challenges the complexities surrounding gender, politics, media, and citizenship. Through her diverse practice, which includes language, photography, sculpture, video, and installation, Alia critiques the politicization of the body and explores themes of colonization, imperialism, sexism, and racism, often using pattern and textile as her primary motifs.
Textiles play a pivotal role in Alia's art, reflecting her belief in their profound significance in our lives. They serve as a reminder of our shared experiences—from birth to death—while simultaneously acting as symbols of division. Her immersive installations leverage light and pattern to transcend language, fostering an expansive, experiential understanding of self, culture, and nation.
Alia’s work also engages with Yemeni Futurism, offering counter-narratives to violence and appropriation by reinterpreting oral histories. She seeks to reframe nostalgic pasts and confront dystopian present realities, carving out spaces for radically imagined futures.
A graduate of Wellesley College (Political Science and Studio Art) and the California Institute of the Arts (Photography and Media), Alia is also a NIKON Global Ambassador. Her works are included in the permanent collections of prestigious institutions such as The British Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and Princeton University. Notably, her monument "al-Falak," funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation, is located at the Arab American National Museum. Alia’s art has garnered attention in publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Architectural Digest, and the Financial Times. Currently residing in New Orleans, she also maintains studios in Paris, Marrakech, and Jaipur.
Textiles play a pivotal role in Alia's art, reflecting her belief in their profound significance in our lives. They serve as a reminder of our shared experiences—from birth to death—while simultaneously acting as symbols of division. Her immersive installations leverage light and pattern to transcend language, fostering an expansive, experiential understanding of self, culture, and nation.
Alia’s work also engages with Yemeni Futurism, offering counter-narratives to violence and appropriation by reinterpreting oral histories. She seeks to reframe nostalgic pasts and confront dystopian present realities, carving out spaces for radically imagined futures.
A graduate of Wellesley College (Political Science and Studio Art) and the California Institute of the Arts (Photography and Media), Alia is also a NIKON Global Ambassador. Her works are included in the permanent collections of prestigious institutions such as The British Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and Princeton University. Notably, her monument "al-Falak," funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation, is located at the Arab American National Museum. Alia’s art has garnered attention in publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Architectural Digest, and the Financial Times. Currently residing in New Orleans, she also maintains studios in Paris, Marrakech, and Jaipur.
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