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Esther Elia’s solo exhibition, Bazaar Ashuraya, opens at Hecho a Mano in Santa Fe on November 6 and runs through November 29, 2026. The exhibition uses paintings, tile sculptures and functional objects to connect contemporary Assyrian diaspora life with cultural memory and daily home life. Elia was also announced as a 2027 resident of the Arts/Industry program.
Artist Esther Elia’s solo exhibition Bazaar Ashuraya is scheduled to open November 6 at Hecho a Mano in Santa Fe, bringing together new paintings, tile mosaics and functional objects that examine contemporary Assyrian life and diaspora. The show presents ancient Assyrian imagery not as a distant inheritance but as part of an evolving culture shaped by home, fashion and everyday experience.
The exhibition centers on a new collection of acrylic paintings, alongside tile sculptures and objects associated with domestic settings. Works named in the report include Sharrat Wearing Adidas and Esther and Zahra Wearing Farm Rio, which pair references to contemporary clothing with folk-inspired designs. Other paintings include Chai Goddess Wearing Mara Hoffman and Akadina Wearing Vintage Mini.
Elia’s sculptures use Mexican tiles, epoxy and other construction materials, with some works built on cement board and plywood. The report describes sculptures approaching life-size and says wheels attached to their bases allow them to be moved between spaces. Elia calls these works “diasporic deities,” a term for figures that connect Assyrian imagery with materials sourced in the American Southwest and adaptable display.
Bazaar Ashuraya is listed as running from November 6 to 29 at Hecho a Mano. The report also says Elia was recently announced as a 2027 resident of the John Michael Kohler Art Center and Kohler Co.’s Arts/Industry program. It does not provide further details about her residency project.
Assyrian Identity in Daily Life
The exhibition’s central idea is that cultural identity is maintained and changed through ordinary practices, not only through historical symbols. Elia links Assyrian culture to language, food, clothing and furnishings in the home, while depicting figures in contemporary garments and combining imagery with materials associated with the Southwest.
That approach gives the exhibition relevance beyond a display of ancient motifs. Its subjects address how a diaspora community carries traditions across places and generations while also creating new forms of cultural expression. The work’s movable sculptures extend that idea physically: the artist describes them as designed to adapt to different spaces rather than remain fixed to one setting.
The separate 2027 residency announcement may give Elia a further opportunity to develop her practice, although the source material does not say what she will make there. For visitors, the Santa Fe exhibition is the immediate chance to see how her paintings and sculptural work bring historical references into conversation with contemporary domestic life.
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From Lamassu to Diasporic Deities
In ancient Assyrian art, lamassu were protective figures, often represented as monumental winged beings with human heads and the bodies of bulls or lions. The source report describes them as guardians associated with cities and palaces. Elia draws on this visual inheritance but recasts it through her own contemporary perspective.
Elia is based in Albuquerque and is of Assyrian and Irish descent, according to the report. Her practice includes sculpture, painting and textiles, with personal experience and cultural history informing the work. In Bazaar Ashuraya, domestic imagery and references to present-day fashion sit alongside figures associated with Assyrian tradition.
The exhibition title and works are presented by the source as part of Elia’s exploration of home and cultural continuity. The article lists earlier sculptural works dated 2023 and paintings dated 2026, showing that the exhibition brings together pieces from different points in her recent practice as well as a new collection of paintings.
“The home is where Assyria lives and breathes.”
— Esther Elia, in a statement quoted by Colossal
Details Beyond the Exhibition
The supplied report does not specify the exhibition’s opening hours, admission arrangements, public programming or the full list of works on view. It also does not clarify which pieces in the show are newly made beyond describing the paintings as a new collection. Readers should check with Hecho a Mano for current visitor information before attending.
Details of Elia’s 2027 Arts/Industry residency, including its dates and planned work, are not provided. The report announces the appointment but does not include a statement from the residency organizers explaining its scope.
Santa Fe Exhibition Opens November 6
The next scheduled milestone is the opening of Bazaar Ashuraya on November 6 at Hecho a Mano. The exhibition is listed through November 29, 2026. The source report directs readers to Elia’s Instagram for more of her work; visitors seeking practical details can contact the gallery.
Elia’s 2027 residency at the John Michael Kohler Art Center and Kohler Co.’s Arts/Industry program is a later development. Further information about its schedule and the work she will undertake has not been included in the announcement summarized by the report.
Key Questions
When and where is Bazaar Ashuraya?
The exhibition is scheduled to run from November 6 to 29, 2026, at Hecho a Mano in Santa Fe.
What kinds of work are in the exhibition?
The report describes a new collection of acrylic paintings, tile mosaics and functional objects. The paintings bring cultural references into contact with contemporary clothing and daily life.
What does Elia mean by “diasporic deities”?
Elia uses the term for sculptures that adapt Assyrian deity imagery through materials sourced in the Southwest and forms intended to move between spaces. The report says some sculptures have wheels attached to their bases.
What is known about Elia’s 2027 residency?
Elia was announced as a 2027 resident of the John Michael Kohler Art Center and Kohler Co.’s Arts/Industry program. The source does not give the residency dates or describe the project she will undertake.
Source: thisiscolossal.com
