Adana first learned to work with fabric from her mother and would assist her in making quilts, pillows and clothing. Realizing she had an aptitude for the visual arts, her mother enrolled her into an arts magnet school where she received formal training. Attending an arts focused program Adana’s skills were honed in figure drawing, still life and working with multiple mediums.

She began creating the fabric pieces as an outlet but soon gained outside admirers. In her first art fair, much praise was given for the colorful, mixed patterns made into beautiful portraits. In effort to put her work out into the public, after applying she was chosen as a regional finalist in the Bombay Sapphire Artisan series. She was also chosen for the group show Akron High Arts Festival. She looks to now work in creating her own surface patterns and textures to create more large scale pieces dealing in figure studies.

Artist Statement

My work encompasses bold patterns, textures and textile surface design. With a focus on portraits and figures, I like to explore organic and modern shapes while creating depth with pattern design. The figure studies created are laid against stamped or painted urban settings. Each piece is a fully constructed quilted wall hanging. Each piece consists of 3 layers of a primary, batting and backing and then machine or hand quilted.

When creating I usually start with rough gesture drawings, playing with movement and composition. Then comes pattern drafting. I work in scaling and placement of the figures or position of portraits. The next phase is most exciting through mixing and exploration of fabrics until a cohesive palette is obtained. I use a combination of hand sewn techniques such as embroidery and beading. A combination of acrylic paint and hand carved stamps to create depth in my work.

Inspiration comes from all around me. I am an observer and take from my surroundings. The movement of dancers, pedestrians all serve as inspiration. The vast style of African-American fashion and hair can be seen throughout my work.

I wish to showcase the beauty of my culture using the traditional art of quilting. Into the future, I would like to focus on scaling my work for public installations, and delve deeper into the textile surface printing.