As a textile artist Adana Tillman explores the journey of identity through her figurative portraits. Within the African Diaspora, grace is not always given by others to explore with fashion, hair without being judged. In her works the figures are living out loud and unapologetic. In the mixing of bold patterns, colors in the fashion to the various hair style shows each figure on the lifelong journey of self-discovery. Each piece incorporates found textiles acquired through the artist’s travels. Her mother has developed an extensive library of fabrics over the years and sometimes sources those materials. The artists’ hand dyeing of textiles has become a large part of the practice. Most notably Adana was awarded the 2019 Garden Fellowship with TILA studios in Atlanta, Georgia. This afforded the opportunity to exhibit during Miami Art week 2019. She has recently completed a residency in Berlin, Germany in Fall 2022. Her work has been acquired by collectors nationally, including The Akron Main Library. Her work bridges the traditional art of quilting into the modern realm with the use of contemporary fabrics and patterns and exploration of hand sewn techniques. With each piece constructed as a quilt it takes the traditional art and gives it a contemporary presentation for today’s viewers.