ntergenerational knowledge transmission reflects cultural resilience, particularly within African diasporic communities. Through textiles, a medium rich in cultural, historical, and spiritual significance, artists and makers have preserved and reimagined the narratives of their ancestors. Alberto Pitta is one such artist who transforms cloth into a vibrant and evolving archive for identity and resistance. Textiles embody the creativity and ingenuity of these communities, acting as bridges between the past, present, and future. They capture stories, evoke memory, and affirm identities, particularly in displacement and systemic erasure contexts.

Pitta’s engagement with carnival costumes, Bahian/Afro-Brazilian prints, and Yoruba and Candomblé spirituality symbols reflects his commitment to celebrating cultural heritage and bringing this legacy to life. Through motifs and techniques that speak to tradition and innovation, Pitta weaves a narrative of resilience and self-determination. Screen printing, for instance, becomes a powerful act of reclamation—a method of storytelling that transcends conventional literacy to “write” history on the bodies of those who wear these textiles.

This creative lineage is not only a means of preservation but also a form of resistance. Pitta’s monumental works, such as O Barco do Assentamento (The Boat of Sacred Iron) (2024), connect the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade with the resilience of African diasporic cultures. He underscores the enduring vitality of these communities by situating their stories within public and celebratory spaces like carnivals and international art biennales, notably his monumental installation Happiness and Resistance (2023) at the 24th Biennale of Sydney. While maintaining his influence in Salvador and the Recôncavo of Bahia, the artist has expanded his interest in West African Yoruba mythology from modern-day Nigeria and Benin through explorations in painting, screen printing on canvas, and installation work.

Pitta’s interplay of ancestry, community, and Carnivale textile artistry highlights how cultural knowledge is never simply passed down but continuously reinterpreted, affirming a future grounded in the richness of its past.