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FABRICS OF HUMANITY
SIERRA LEONE
BY TYLER GOLDFLOWER
In the folds of fabric, I found a map of the human spirit: woven histories, hands at work, and the pulse of creativity. Textiles are not mere adornments but vessels of expression and cultural dialogue. In Sierra Leone, I saw how these materials became living bridges, their patterns carrying both collective memory and individual story.
Fabrics of Humanity is my first photobook, made possible thanks to Tiffany Persons and the Shine On Sierra Leone Foundation, who invited me to witness the beauty and resilience of their communities. This book is a reflection of how I experienced Sierra Leone, through my eyes as an artist and a guest, guided by a desire to observe, to listen, to learn, and, in return, to share and co-create.
Fabrics of Humanity isn’t just a book about textiles; it’s about what they mean, how they shape us, and how we, in turn, shape them.
These photographs are here to encourage and inspire us to look a little closer at the fabrics in our lives, to see the stories, the symbols, and the identities woven into every thread.
ORIGIN
Destiny is shaped by the choices we make and the people we meet. In 2019, when Tiffany walked into my life and connected with my art, it felt as though fate had arrived. At the time, I was just beginning to explore my sculptural photographic practice, creating my earliest textile-frame portrait photographs. Tiffany spoke of Shine on Sierra Leone, her organization dedicated to supporting communities through education, sustainability, and cultural preservation. Her deep relationships with weavers and artisans in Sierra Leone sparked an idea of a collaborative exploration of these textiles with the people who made them. Tiffany invited me to join her and a group of creatives on their next trip to Sierra Leone, and I eagerly accepted. I was excited not only to witness her work firsthand but to contribute my photographic practice to this exchange. I saw the camera not as a tool to hide behind, but as a means of connection, trusting that the people and their stories would find me and unfold naturally.
The images I captured during that time were powerful, but as I began to envision creating something meaningful from this work, the world shifted. The onset of COVID-19 halted travel and redirected priorities. My project was put on hold, and what had once felt urgent became distant.
By 2022 and 2023, the images began to haunt me. I realized I needed to bring this project to life, and so I started taking the necessary steps. This being my first book, the journey required both vision and perseverance. I eventually found the right people to help bring the project to fruition, shaping it into something that would immortalize this experience.
Time, rather than diminishing the work, gave me clarity. It allowed me to step back and understand the complexity of my role as an outsider coming into a new place. I've become more aware, more sensitive to the subtleties of the experience. What once felt like an urgent burst of energy has, over time, transformed into something rooted, deepened by reflection and guided by the dialogue between past and present. This is the story of how this project was created, how it found its voice, and how it continues to evolve alongside me.”
TYLER GOLDFLOWER
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