Fiker Solomon explores freedom and growth—nature’s most profound gifts—through vibrant abstract tapestries. Her practice blends traditional techniques with experimental methods refined during her residency at Afriart Gallery’s Silhouette Projects. This pivotal experience allowed her to embrace creative independence and develop her signature approach: free motion, stitching, and punching.
She works with materials like yarn, sisal, palm leaves, and jute sacks, each chosen for its texture and symbolic resonance. Among these, the jute sack holds a central place in her recent works. Often seen as a utilitarian and disposable material, the jute sack mirrors the duality of utility and marginalization in society, representing individuals or communities whose contributions are essential yet undervalued. By reclaiming and elevating this material, she reveals its intricacy and resilience, offering a metaphor for transformation and renewal in both materials and social contexts.
Through her tapestries, she aims to reconnect with the boundless freedom of childhood while addressing societal and cultural constraints. Each piece invites viewers to reflect on growth as a journey of honoring roots while reaching for new heights—an ode to nature’s enduring cycles of renewal.
