"Textiles from Congo" Exhibition

Makonde Art Museum

This event has ended.

The exhibition introduces traditional textiles created in Congo (formerly Zaire) that are made from raffia and velvet grass. The raffia created by the Bushoong clan use leaves from the raffia palms and weave them into cloths. Designs are created on the cloths using red, black and purple cloths and appliquéd.
On the other hand, the Kuba clan that live in the eastern region use embroidery to decorate cloths made from velvet grass. The artisans who create these cloths embed a mythical story in the patterns. These fabrics that are made with much labor are typically used for ritual costumes, mats and traditional costumes.