How Do We Really See Land From Above?

Sarah Rosalena (Wixárika) is a Los Angeles-based artist and weaver who combines traditional craft practices with emerging technologies.

Rosalena uses digital techniques such as computer-sequenced weaving and ceramic 3D printing to expand the possibilities of her art.

To create California Terrain, Rosalena trained a model on satellite imagery datasets, generating entirely new landscapes.

She then translated these digital formations into weaving patterns, matching pixels to threads and transforming smooth digital surfaces into tactile, material experiences.

Rosalena draws striking parallels between the peaks and valleys of satellite landscapes and the three-dimensional texture of woven surfaces.

Each thread contributes to “shifting layers…falling upon each other,” creating new topographies on the loom and allowing viewers to experience land not just visually, but physically.

By bridging the digital and the material, Rosalena invites us to reconsider the very nature of maps, land, and our perception of space. Her work shows that landscapes are not only seen from above. They can be felt, touched, and reimagined, layer by layer.

Learn more about Gradient Canopy here.