I can spin skies

Puttapaka weaver, India / Telia rumal with clocks and planes (detail) c.1990s / Dyed cotton, warp and weft ikat, corner grids warp ikat and supplementary weft, alizarin dye / 120 x 120cm / Gift of Dana McCown through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation 2020 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / View full image
When
5 Aug 2023 – 23 Jun 2024
Where
Queensland Art Gallery & Galleries 5 & 6 (Henry and Amanda Bartlett Galleries)
Admission
Free
About
‘I can spin skies’ spans historical and contemporary textiles and art influenced by textile practices from across Asia. The exhibition takes its title from fifteenth century Persian poet Rumi’s reflection on the humble silkworm’s ability to spin the thread that makes one of the most prized fabrics in the world. Works are shown in dialogue with historical scrolls, photographs, woodblock prints and Buddhist sculpture, signifying the connections between fabric and life across time and continents.
Almagul Menlibayeva, Kazakhstan b.1969 / Wrapping history 2010 / Duratrans print in light box / 91 x 122cm / Purchased 2010 with a special allocation from the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Almagul Menlibayeva / View full image
Puttapaka weaver, India / Telia rumal with clocks and planes c.1990s / Dyed cotton, warp and weft ikat, corner grids warp ikat and supplementary weft, alizarin dye / 120 x 120cm / Gift of Dana McCown through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation 2020 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / View full image