Experimental weaving sculptures combine tradition and self-exploration at Surrey Art Gallery

Surrey Art Gallery will present tender threads, an exhibition of work by Jonathan Alfaro and Sena Cleave, from Sept. 26 to Dec. 6, 2026. Admission is free.

Bringing together textile, sculptural and text-based works, the exhibition considers weaving as an embodied practice connected to memory, inherited knowledge and self-exploration. Both artists engage with family histories and inherited cultural narratives.

Cleave incorporates pine needles and rice grains into woven sculptures. Vega as Floodwater and Sieve reimagine the folktale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl through delicate sculptures made with organic materials that warp and break.

Alfaro's work draws on his discovery of his grandfather's weaving practice under Spanish colonialism. In Y Mis Huesos se Sienten Viejos, he examines family lineage and self-identity, using traditional weaving and techniques that deconstruct and reconstruct linen.

The exhibition will be celebrated at the Woven Tenderly opening art party on Oct. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Alfaro and Cleave will join a panel and artmaking activity at the Weaving with Memories Media Arts Symposium on Nov. 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. Surrey Art Gallery is located at 13750 88 Avenue.