Textile Design Now showcases 23 works by women textile artists and designers from fourteen countries: Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Senegal, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan and the United States. This unique gathering will provide an opportunity to discover several previously unseen pieces.

At the cutting edge of textile design, these creators engage in varied and unexpected practices including weaving, 3D printing, sound-generating and solar textiles, bacterial dyeing, as well as the creation of replacement organs woven by silkworms. The spatial arrangement of the textile works within the exhibition highlights the intertwining of tradition and innovation, experimental practices as well as the emotional potential of soft materials. A historical section and a selection of books offer insights into the rich origins of textile practices and the complexity of their cultural and societal roles.

Symposium – Textiles Beyond Crafts:

The exhibition will be accompanied by the symposium Textiles Beyond Crafts. The symposium aims to create a dialogue within emerging practices in textile design. Highlights include lectures by exceptional women including the Mohawk textile artist, Carla Hemlock, the designer and director emeritus of Japan’s NUNO Textiles, Reiko Sudō, as well as the Curator of Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, theo tyson.