Cloth and Culture Now

Cloth & Culture NOW

A new project led by Lesley Millar, who, with the University College for the Creative Arts, also organised the textile projects ‘Textural Space’, ‘Through the Surface’ and ’21:21 – the textile vision of Reiko Sudo and NUNO’.

These projects have concentrated on textile practice in the UK and Japan. Cloth & Culture NOW has extended the research to include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, alongside Japan and the UK and culminates in a major publication and the exhibition now open at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. more>

Cloth & Culture NOW highlights exciting and innovative contemporary textile practice from areas where there has been a strong tradition of textile linked to specific cultural identity. The work of these contemporary practitioners reflects that cultural specificity while also responding to cross-cultural and trans-national influences.

35 artists, from the 6 countries, have taken part in the project, contributing personal statements to the website about the role of textile within their lives.

A major book documenting their practice plus in depth interviews with each of the participants and essays contributed by textile experts from each of the countries is now available from the University College for the Creative Arts, and from January 29th also from the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

The exhibition Cloth & Culture NOW was shown at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, from January 29th to June 1st 2008 and attracted record-breaking audiences – 6,000 in the first 3 weeks.

The exhibition is now at the Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester from September 17th until December 14th 2008.

A comprehensive education programme at the Whitworth is supporting the exhibition, events on listed on this site and full details from the Whitworth site www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk