Global Textile Events

The process of creating textiles has long been a springboard for artistic invention. In Weaving Abstraction in Ancient and Modern Art, two extraordinary bodies of work separated by at least 500 years are brought together to explore the striking connections between artists of the ancient Andes and those of the 20th century. The exhibition displays textiles […]

An exhibition of rare and artful cushions and bed covers woven by women for their households. Such textiles, many with inscribed dates from 1750 to 1840, were used or displayed for special occasions and were a significant form of decoration for the typical household. The design elements and patterns of colorful geometric patterns, exotic birds, […]

Carpets and canopies designated portable courtly spaces among nomadic groups. The Mughals of India used carpets and canopies to mark royal presence. Even when the Mughals settled in permanent stone structures, a special carpet (jharokha) signaled the window where the populace could see and petition the emperor from below. Other regional rulers all over India […]

From tradition to trendsetting, today South Korea is a cultural superpower. But behind the country’s meteoric rise to the world stage—a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave, or hallyu—is the story of remarkable resilience and innovation. Just a century ago, Korea was in search of a new national identity, following its occupation by Japan and […]

In the late nineteenth century, Amish women adopted an artform already established within the larger American culture and made it distinctly their own. They pushed cultural limitations by innovating within a community that values adherence to rules,and developed community and familial preferences. The quiltsin Pattern and Paradox: The Quilts of Amish Women, all made between […]

Folk art and craft are deeply rooted in traditions frequently passed down through generations. Steeped in cultural heritage, the techniques and skills are a living record of the past and a way to share stories today. They are intimately bound to the home and daily life. In this exhibition, interdisciplinary artist Shirin Towfiq explores the […]

In the 20th century, textiles have often been considered lesser—as applied art, women’s work, or domestic craft. Woven Histories challenges the hierarchies that often separate textiles from fine arts. The nexus of textiles and abstraction embodies key political, social, economic, and aesthetic issues that have shaped the history of the modern era. Putting into dialogue some […]

Cosmos/Continuous Line, an exhibition of recent work by weaver Porfirio Gutiérrez, represents his quest to affirm and sustain his family’s Zapotec identity and Indigenous culture in Mexico, carrying his work from artisanal craft, to environmental ecology, to contemporary art. Cosmos consists of free-hanging textiles, woven with traditional designs, and over-dyed in indigo to numinous effect. Continuous […]

Aloha wear is more than flowers. Spanning almost 90 years, Fashioning Aloha showcases the diversity and inspiration of design motifs in aloha wear—holokū (gowns), mu‘umu‘u, holomu‘u (dresses), and aloha shirts. Starting with the birth of aloha wear in the 1930s, when printed fabric depicting Hawaiian motifs developed, and continuing to the present with contemporary brands, this […]