206 Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive, UW-Madison, 12 – 1 PM
The vast area that spans from Morocco and Algeria in the west to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan in the east is connected by millennia-old trade networks. In the exhibition “Embroidered Traditions from Morocco to Afghanistan” currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago, these connections are illustrated by richly decorated textiles that transmit cultural expressions of identity, status, and long-held belief systems.
In this talk, Janet Purdy will present works from across North Africa that highlight how the artistic embellishments of worn garments and adornments hold personal, cherished memories. The exhibition considers North Africa as part of “SWANA” – Southwest Asia and North Africa – and this talk will consider how such a perspective can shed new light on artistic traditions of Africa. Free and open to the public.