Refraction is an ocular cleanse. The works in Refraction: New Photography of Africa and its Diaspora bridges the gap between Black stereotypes and Black reality. Curated by Cassandra Johnson (Steven Kasher Gallery Director) and Niama Safia Sandy (Independent Curator and Cultural Anthropologist) the exhibition presents a generation of photographic artists of African descent who portray …
Read More »This week’s roundup looks at the histories of protest from a wide range of views: from fashion, to contemporary Native American artists, and celebrities. 1) “The Perils of Using Fashion for Protest” by Connie Wang examines the pussyhat, safety pins, and other fashion items that have been used as symbols for protest, and what (if …
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This week’s Friday Fibers Roundup looks at the body and the various ways patterns and designs are used within fashion, exhibitions, and textile works. 1) “‘Black Panther’ Costume Designer Draws On ‘The Sacred Geometry Of Africa’” by Mallory Yu looks at the costuming details from the recent Marvel Blockbuster and how Wakanda’s Afro-futurism is grounded …
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Flowers, nature, and organic forms are the themes for this week’s Friday Fibers Roundup articles. 1) “Bihar’s Sujani Embroidery has a GI Tag, but why does no one know about It?” by Amarnath Tewary looks at the labor of around 400 women and girls from Bhusra village who work to create Sujani embroidery. When done, …
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Need some inspiration for new projects? This week’s Friday Fibers Roundup features paper patterns, colors, and forms to get you out of your rut. 1) Beijing-based artist Peng Wei create contemporary sculptures of human legs, shoes, and torsos by placing traditional Chinese painting on rice paper—displaying natural and domestic scenes (via Colossal). 2) “Photographer Captures …
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Embroidery, as an artistic craft has made a remarkable comeback. From domestic tools and quiet hobbies, embroidery is now a full-scale cultural movement, with many iterations taking place internationally. Voor de draad ermee! (Dutch translated to English: Well, get on with it!) features embroidered and embellished works by some of the top artists and fashion …
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This week’s roundup includes a wide variety of articles looking at the historical and contemporary applications and contexts of weaving. 1) Curated by Jennifer Garey, Weaving a Path: Navajo Women and the Feminine Ethos features a distinctive range rugs and blankets of the Southwest US created by Diné women, with geometric designs and patterns, all …
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Jason Pollen’s Ancestors/Descendants show at The Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln showcases his most recent body of work. Pollen, an established presence in the fiber arts world (and SDA’s President Emeritus) has been anything but retired since he left his role as the chair of the fiber department at the Kansas …
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The week’s Friday Fibers Roundup features a mix of exhibitions, books, and reviews all center around the concepts of craft in a contemporary and historical setting. 1) Sheila Hicks’ new exhibition: Free threads. Textile and its Pre-Columbian Roots, 1954-2017 has been up since last November, but there’s still time to see it. On display at …
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Curated by SDA member Kimberly Becker, the exhibition A Woman’s Place features fifteen artists whose strong voices and clear ideas discuss what it means to be female in the twenty first century. Conveyed through a wide variety of mediums, the work speaks to both an individual woman’s experience as well as a collective voice. Opening …
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