How do we call out to each other across the diaspora?

Textiles exist at the heart of craft in both Ghana and the Philippines. Beyond functional utility, they provide spiritual protections, strengthen sense of self, and are archival testaments to pre- and post-colonial histories and cultural resiliency. They possess the ability to visually communicate that which cannot be easily articulated.

The exhibition Yebehyia Biom • Hálong • Until Then features works from Ghanian fashion designer Halimatu Sadia Mohammed and Filipina/Mestiza textile maker Dinah Gaston. The collection presented traces memories and deep familial histories to impart personal stories of identity, migration, displacement, and belonging. Together, they consider the connective properties of textiles in communicating with strangers, new friends, and loved ones in the homeland and across the diaspora.

Yebehyia Biom, or “we’ll meet again” in Akan, Hálong or “take care” in Hiligaynon, and “until then” in the artists’ shared language of English. These are phrases of acknowledgement, parting, and promise. The exhibition, a textile collection of calls, offers visions of connection, recognition of self and each other in stories and experiences, through which diasporic distance can be shortened.

Curated by Thea Sleight, Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre

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Artist Bio

Halimatu Sadia Mohammed:

My name is Halimatu Sadia Mohammed, a Ghanaian fashion designer and founder of L’eemat Designs, based in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The name Halima means “gentle” and “patient,” qualities that reflect how I approach my work. I have been passionate about fashion and design for over a decade. I specialize in bridal gowns and special occasion wear, inspired by my love for culture, creativity, and the beauty of the human form. My designs combine modern silhouettes with traditional West African fabrics and details, including Ghanaian Kente and Fugu. My goal is to create clothing that is beautiful, meaningful, comfortable, and designed to make every woman feel confident in her own body. My philosophy is simple: Inclusive by Design. Renewed with Purpose. My design journey is deeply personal. The Adinkra symbol Asaase Ye Duro, meaning “the Earth has weight,” reminds me of my late father and the values of patience, hard work, craftsmanship, and purpose that continue to live through my work. I hold a diploma in Fashion and Design and a degree in Marketing and Business Management. Sustainability is also an important part of my practice. I believe in giving sentimental garments and existing materials new life instead of allowing them to go to waste.

Dinah Gaston:

Dinah Gaston is a diaspora Filipino/Mestiza textile maker, based on the traditional territory of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7.  Gaston recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Museum studies at the University of Lethbridge with great distinction. She was also a gold medal nominee. Gaston was the winner of the student in Arts Endowment Award in 2025 and 2024, the 2024 award enabled her to attend a weaving residency at the Textile Museum in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. The award for 2025 will support her in an embroidery and weaving residency in Iloilo, Philippines next year in a village near where her mother was born. She will be mentoring under weaving/embroidery cultural master Regina Villanueva who is currently celebrated in an international partnership with Uniqlo. Gaston just had a solo exhibition at CASA in Lethbridge last year with a show entitled Bilad - exposed under the sun / exposed for all to see. The woven piece in that show “Kusikos” was purchased by the University of Lethbridge.  Gaston looks forward to a curated group show with Casa entitled “Fibre runs through it" April 2027 and a travelling exhibition with TREX Southeast in 2027. Currently Dinah is head of the archives department at the Kootenai Brown Historical Park Museum in Pincher Creek, Alberta