Dozens of cloth pieces adorn the walls, hang from the ceiling, or are folded neatly in display cases in the Widener Gallery at Trinity College. This may sound like a standard stroll through the mall, but the textiles are all from West Africa, on loan from multiple collections.
The items on display are woven, stamped, appliqued, and resist-dyed textiles, made from cotton, rayon, and wool. One tunic is also composed of goat skin and colobus monkey fur.
A man’s smock, from Cameroon, combines woven fiber with human hair. The ceremonial garment would have been worn at funerals for VIPs.
Wrappers and blankets vary from colorful, to subdued, to simply indigo and white.
The It’s a Wrap exhibit hasn’t wrapped up yet– you have until March 14, 2015 to view the textiles in the Austin Arts Center.
On March 5th at 3 p.m. a gallery talk will be held in the Widener Gallery.
This is free and open to the public: Sunday-Friday, 1-6 p.m. Call 860.297.5232 for more information.
