Designing Dynamism : Kuba Textiles from the D R Congo, The Wesley Mancini Collection

A dynamic, bold, exploration of the breadth of the Kuba design aesthetic and its lasting impact on early twentieth-century modernism through to the present day.

The textiles of the historic, multi-ethnic Kuba kingdom, (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), represent the most intact and cohesive tradition in the region, and are exceptional for their artistic caliber, graphic sophistication, and complexity of style. The written story of Kuba cloth begins with encounters in the early sixteenth century between the coastal Congo kingdoms and European explorers who were impressed by the elegance and intricacy of Congo weaving. In the early twentieth century the Kuba improvisational abstract aesthetic captivated the Western avant-garde, influencing fashion, fabric design, and the decorative arts. 

In addition to presenting full color plates of up to fifty pieces, Designing Dynamism: Kuba Textiles from the Wesley Mancini Collection features illustrations of contemporary woven Wesley Mancini fabric design, inspired by Kuba designs, an illustrated introduction to Kuba design by Annie Carlano, and a main essay by leading textile specialist Vanessa Drake Moraga on Kuba design aesthetics and their lasting impact on early twentieth-century modernism, and an essay by leading designer and architect Stephen Burks, the only African American to have won the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award in Product Design. A brief illustrated section focusses on the technique of these textiles, showing the raised embroidery technique in detail.