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Mother Tongue is a textile-based storytelling project by Tanya Nixon-Silberg that explores the intergenerational language of motherhood among women of color. The project emerged from a personal moment—when Nixon-Silberg heard herself repeat a phrase from her own childhood: “I’m not one of your little friends.” That moment sparked a deeper inquiry into the phrases mothers inherit and the ones they choose to pass on.

Nixon-Silberg interviewed 14 mothers of color, inviting them to reflect on the words they heard growing up and the affirmations they now offer their own children. The resulting installation consists of three distinct panels: harsh or painful phrases are hand-stitched into coarse burlap; words of healing and affirmation are sewn into soft muslin; and the final panel—a sheer gauze—holds each mother’s reflection, acting as a bridge between past and present.

Presented as part of the Matrescence exhibition at MassArt’s SoWa Gallery, Mother Tongue is both personal and communal. It weaves together language, memory, and healing, offering viewers a tapestry of what it means to parent within and against systems of racism, colonialism, and patriarchy. Ultimately, the piece is a testament to the power of naming, the labor of reparenting, and the grace needed to hold all of it at once.