Social Fabric is a British Museum touring exhibition which explores how the textiles of eastern and southern Africa document the changing times, fashions and tastes of the region. Bringing together kanga from Kenya and Tanzania, and shweshwe from southern Africa the exhibition reveals how these fabrics express the social, political, religious, emotional and even sexual concerns of the people who wear them.

The varied patterns and inscriptions are thought provoking and sometimes humorous. They convey an unspoken language, expressing thoughts and feelings which cannot always be spoken out loud. Worn in both secular and sacred contexts, the fabric plays a central role in all major rite-of-passage ceremonies in women’s, and in some cases, men’s lives.

The exhibition also features contemporary art and fashion inspired by the textiles in the show. South African artist Lawrence Lemaoana uses kanga to explore the notion of power in post-Apartheid South Africa. Kapwani Kiwanga’s sculptural work draws our attention to how African fabric is not only a decorative object but also a medium for expressing the main concerns of society. The bold graphic print on the designs of London based fashion label CHiCHia was inspired by chief designer Christine Mhando’s favourite proverbs and sayings sourced from Tanzanian kanga.

Where:
William Morris Gallery Lloyd Park, Forest Road
Walthamstow, London, E17 4PP
020 8496 4390

When: 20 February – 29 May 2016

For more information: http://www.wmgallery.org.uk

I will be visiting this week and will let you know how I found it. Really looking forward to it!