Adia Millett is truly a “force of nature.” Her work invites us into a vibrant universe teeming with forms that have been fragmented, deconstructed and reassembled—a world in constant flux, awash with the possibility of transformative change.
Over the last year, Millett spent countless hours wandering di Rosa’s 217 acres, collecting leaves, feathers and visual impressions that ultimately found their way into the work you see here. Inspired by this ever-changing landscape, Millett created an arresting series of works evoking “earth, water, air and sun—the elements that birthed us and keep us alive.”
Millett relates that her process “is informed by taking things apart, removing, replacing, cutting, pasting, sewing and building”—and this is evident in her textile work as well as in her paintings. An emblem of creative resilience, Millett’s practice suggests that destruction offers hope for new beginnings.
The music and sounds you have been listening to were recorded by artist Alex Asher Daniel during a site visit to di Rosa. It is titled Talahausi, the Wappo name for this land.
What music and sounds do you hear when you look at this landscape? Can you imagine ancestral voices? In what key does the land sing to you?
