Beginning this Sunday, Oct. 15, the Katonah Museum of Art presents two shows that plumb the rich history of Syrian textiles from the ancient world to the present.
“Stories of Syria’s Textiles: Art and Heritage Across Two Millennia” (through Jan. 28) features new scholarship and draws upon the knowledge of Syrian silk producers, weavers and other artisans. Twelve years after the conflict in Syria began in 2011, the exhibit also underscores ongoing efforts to document, preserve and revitalize Syria’s textile heritage.
Meanwhile, “Immortal Stitch” grapples with shifting notions of identity and loss of place. Using a combination of repurposed Aghabani tablecloths and hand-dyed silk and wool, this installation by Rhonda Khalifeh – a Syrian-American artist, dyer and print designer based in New York — explores material heritage and her past and present relationship with Syrian craft.
For more, visit katonahmuseum.org.
