The Global Art of Patchwork: Africa and Asia exhibition provides a tantalizing glimpse of the rich array of patchwork textile traditions that exist throughout the world. The works shown—from China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, India, Japan, Korea, Nigeria, Sudan and Tibet—are all drawn from the collection of the Newark Museum. They invite us to look beyond the world of quilts to consider other techniques of piecing and appliqué and the meanings embodied in these works.  Whether born of necessity or done with symbolic intent, these patchwork textiles from around the globe can be universally admired for their artistry.


Banner image:

Asafo Company Flag, c. 1950, Attributed to Kweku Kakanu (1910 – late 1980s), Saltpond, Ghana; Fante, Cotton, 36 x 68 ¼ in., Gift of Lee Sharp Lorenz, 1993, 93.256

Ritual Dance (chams) Costume, ca. 1900, Nechung monastery, CentralTibet, Silk damask, 52 ½ x 72 ½ in., Purchase 1980 The Members’ Fund, 80.286A-C