Tracing the Blueprint

From empires to everyday life, this exhibition traces the path of indigo-printed textiles from the Hapsburg Empire into Hungarian village life, and from Europe, via colonisation and assimilation, to the Xhosa and other peoples of Southern Africa.

Using photographs, words, cloth samples and clothing, Tracing the Blueprint describes historic and current craft production in Hungary and how these small white on blue patterns made their way via trade, settlers and the Manchester printers to Southern Africa.

Exhibition curated by Devon Guild member Hilary Burns, a basketmaker trained in textiles with childhood links to the Eastern Cape, and Jacqueline Sarsby, who is an anthropologist, photographer and oral historian.

See photos of the exhibition here and here