Fabrics of Humanity

Fabrics of Humanity is a photographic book following an intimate journey into the depth, creativity, and vitality of Sierra Leone, seen through my eyes as both artist and guest. Textiles are not mere adornments but vessels of expression and cultural dialogue. There are many ways to come to know a place, but I was instinctively drawn to fabric because it is made of stories, and for the way it holds identity close to the skin. You don't simply study textiles; you feel them, you wear them, they become a part of you.

More than an exploration of textiles, Fabrics of Humanity is a visual meditation on how creativity and play awaken our sense of identity and weave us into a shared tapestry. The accompanying exhibition extends the photographs beyond the book into unique works incorporating image, material, and, in some pieces, fabrics I brought back from Sierra Leone.

An invitation to look a little closer at the fabrics in our lives and the stories, symbols, and identities woven into every thread.

The project was made possible by Tiffany Persons and the Shine On Sierra Leone organization, who invited me to experience and collaborate. Special thanks to the team who helped bring this book to life: Raqueli Contreras for story development and editorial support, Dalia Urzúa for graphic and editorial design, and Kevin Alexander Sparks for visual layout and sequencing support.

Tyler Goldflower (b. 1992, New York City) is a multidisciplinary sculptural photographic artist living and working between Mexico City and New York. She began photographing at thirteen, discovering photography as a language and herself as a visual translator, drawn to the intimacy between photographer and subject and the space it creates for connection, vulnerability, and play.

Her practice exists between image, material, and environment, functioning as a laboratory of processes and material investigation. Printing photographs onto materials such as clay, stone, and textiles, and working through experimental and chemical processes, she transforms the image into a physical and evolving form. That same intimacy extends into her self- portraiture, where the body becomes both subject and site of investigation. Her work explores memory, transformation, impermanence, and the relationship between our inner and outer worlds. Goldflower approaches image and material as collaborators, exploring our connection to place, one another, and the environments that shape us.

ALMANAQUE-fotográfica presented Goldflower’s first show in Mexico City, “Conversations & Encounters” in 2023; followed by her solo exhibitions: “Typographies of Time” and “Memories of the Future” in 2025. ALMANAQUE proudly featured her work at Art Miami Fair 2025 and Zona Maco ’25 & 2026. To learn more, please explore all her previous exhibitions and available works at almanaquefotografica.com.