Textile stories
Sahlah Davids: Amatie - Jessica Hemmings reviews an exhibition about the material culture of the Cape Malay.
Piña weaving and climate change in Kalibo - Simon Ellis finds that piña weaving not only preserves a priceless cultural heritage but also mitigates the impact of climate change and flooding in downtown Kalibo.
Kokrobitey ✿ Ghanaian paradise regained - Renée C. Neblett reflects on the idyllic village life she found in Ghana, how it lost its way with commercialisation, and the institute she founded to help recover its vitality.
Lavina Baldota on curating Sutr Santati - We speak with Lavina Baldota about the epic curation of Sutr Santati, an exhibition of contemporary Indian textiles celebrating 75 years of independence.
You Stir the Pot: Recipes for change - Victoria Manganiello tells us about a social change project that invites artists to apply their creativity to making recipes for a better world.
The meaning of yellow - Helen Ting's weaving is inspired by the deep meaning of the colour yellow in Chinese culture.
Julia Gutman ✿ Muses - Elyse Goldfinch, Associate Curator at Artspace, Sydney, looks at the "muse" in Julia Gutman’s textile representations of community and friendship among women, on the occasion of the artist’s debut solo exhibition at Sullivan+Strumpf.
Embroidering pugholes - Sera Waters describes how her embroidery brings to the surface the holes dug during settlement that remained as wounds on the landscape.
Fold craft: Uncovering the Nivi sari - In our Reinventing the Wheel series, Kaamya Sharma reflects on the emergence of the Nivi sari as a national dress and how it demonstrates the craft of using as well as making.
Govindbhai ✿ Keri classic - LOkesh Ghai presents a keri motif, a Western Indian version of paisley, by master block carver, Govindbhai.
Tender cloths - Michele Elliot uses wrapping as a ritual to reflect the passing of life.
Maryam Mohamadi ✿ Mageli - Maryam Mohamadi uses a traditional craft of felt hat-making to produce home decor for Iranian homes.
Decay is beautiful - Samorn Sanixay reflects on the uses of decomposition in textile dyeing and how it resonates with Buddhism and the refugee experience.
Nicole Ellis ✿ Fabrications - Fabrications covers thirty years of art-making by Sydney-based artist Nicole Ellis. It reviews her rich and complex involvement with collage, assemblage and found materials. Fastidiously selected textiles comprise the artists ‘palettes’ and provide the tones that she moulds into consistently beautiful, poised, luminous compositions.
Paola Moreno ✿ Rhythms of Chile - Paola Moreno's modernist weaving is inspired by the many strands of Chilean culture, including precious textile relics of its ancient Inca past and passions of Violeta Parra.
Paula do Prado ✿ My abuela’s hands - Paula do Prado shares the story of her family’s epic story from Africa via Uruguay to Australia, as reflected in her intricately threaded creations.
Kumarisari ✿ Buy forward fashion - We learn the thinking behind an innovative approach to India's vibrant market in saris, applying circular economy principles.
Cielo rojo (red sky) - Caco Honorato and Mariela Vicencio create fragile objects inspired by the poetry of broken wings.
The garden of Gildásio - Gildásio Jardim relates a remarkable life story, reflecting the experience of a tiny rural community in paintings that magically blend with real life.
Chikankari: The gift of health - Jaspal Kalra's scholarship leads him back to Lucknow where he celebrates those who add delight to our new masked identities.
Kasia Tons ✿ After - Valerie Kirk writes about an artist who used embroidery as a diary to record a lost world that may be our future.
Flag Project (2006-2020) - Arahmaiani Feisal finds an answer in flags that bring communities together across the world to support positive values.
Ulos through the viewfinder - Dewie Sartika Bukit describes a photography project that aims to inspire a new generation to admire the distinct ulos weaving tradition of Tono Batak.
Pashmina: A perennial luxury - Khushbu Mathur reflects on the enduring appeal of the Kashmiri shawls made from the wool of the Himalayan Ibex.
[Re:]Entanglements in Nigeria - Nigerian artists Jennifer Ogochukwu Okpoko and Dr RitaDoris Edumchieke Ubah are inspired by colonial photographs to make new textile work drawing on the heritage of uli body and wall painting.
Wissa-Sophy: Back to the woven garden - Passent Nossair returns to the refreshing gardens of El Harraneya in Giza, Egypt, where she learns the remarkable story of Wissa Wassef, whose belief in the inner creativity of children helped build a weaving workshop of international renown.
Paola Moreno ✿ Healing plus - Our May laurel goes to Chilean textile artist Paola Moreno for a beautifully woven yet simple message of positivity for our time.
Bakhiya: The beauty of the imperfect - Bakhiya is not just a form of sewing with long stitches. It also offers a sufi meditation on the beauty of the imperfect and fragility of life, as reflected in these poignant works at Threshold Art Gallery, Delhi.
Safed: The beauty of simplicity - Sayali Goyal responds to questions about her project featuring handwoven textiles from across Indian in their raw beauty.
Responsible crafts tourism in Kutch - Ruth Clifford shares her advice about key issues in visiting craftspersons and offers a variety of alternative models for experiencing their remarkable skills.
The angels of Dhadhampatti - Julia Raath visits the Tamil Nadu village of Sittilingi and is inspired to help them bring vibrant colours to far away lands.
Presha’s Coverlet - Jeffrey Keith considers the bedcover made by his great-great-grandmother as a memoir and describes how its threads bind him to the southern mountains she called home.
A decade of yarn bombing - Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain celebrate ten years since the first publication of Yarn Bombing and reflect how it has defied the homely associations of knitting.
Democracy by hand in Chile - Textile artists can re-make flags to give a human dimension to a nation. Paola Moreno and Carolina Varela have made a powerful work in immediate response to the current crisis in Chilean democracy.
Paula do Prado ✿ El Grito - Paula do Prado's textile work El Grito expresses a cultural resistance drawing on her African ancestry.
Please give up your seat for local design - New seat designs were recently announced for Melbourne's trains. As part of our Crafted City campaign, we seek the opinion of Alasdair MacKinnon about the significance of this decision.
Sera Waters ✿ Dazzleland - Sera Waters "justice-driven" exhibition stitches together a new canvas for dreams of home in an ancient land.
Julie Ryder ✿ Hidden Sex - Canberra textile artist Julie Ryder shares her series of beautiful works that reveal the subterfuge of sea plants and parallel hidden place of women in scientific history.
アイヌの手仕事:愛と祈りの布作り - アイヌの布が持つ不変の特質の最たるものは、作り手の愛情を留めおき、そこに込められた祈りによってアイヌとアイヌとをつなぐところだ。長谷川の言葉にもあるように、この祈りが布に命を吹き込み、それが力となって使い手や持ち主に働くのだ