Inspirational India
Every August, the historic city of Edinburgh is transformed into the largest arts festival in the world. It is especially known for comedy, but the Fringe is also home to performances and exhibitions of theatre, circus, spoken word, art, and many other art forms.
You'll even find textiles at the Fringe, as Galerie Mirages will be home to Inspirational India: an exhibition highlighting the importance of connections between Scotland and the UK and India over the past few centuries. The gallery, housed in a 19th century bakehouse, itself grew out of this Scottish/Indian connection.
For over 2,000 years, Indian textiles have had a major influence on fashion in Europe, in the last 400 years they have inspired British design from the Paisley pattern to Liberty print. Visitors to the exhibition will learn more about the origins and importance of the shawl as a fashion item, the Paisley pattern and its origins, and the motifs of flowering shrubs and small flower motifs and their influence on British textile design.
On display will be wonderful examples of block printing, embroidery and appliqué. The curators have personally sourced from Western India rare tribal embroideries, outstanding block printed spreads from a family of block printers famous for their use of colour, an original old bridal Palki in traditional appliqué work, and an outstanding collection of contemporary silk and wool shawls.
If you love textiles this is an exhibition not to-be missed. For more information, click here.
1 August - 1 September 2019, Galerie Mirages, 46a Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, EH4 1HL
Blog post by Jessica Edney