A new exhibit at the Mint Museum in Charlotte featuring art that originates from the Democratic Republic of Congo aims to connect African-American residents to their roots.
A short video on display at the Mint Museum Randolph shows women in the DRC weaving raffia fibers together. Raffia is the material used to make Kuba textiles, which originate from the DRC.
Annie Carlano is the curator of the exhibit with about 60 pieces.
"Most of them are prestige squares, which are these square or rectangular textiles that were originally made as gifts to the king, gifts for nobles,” Carlano said. "And most often also created to be a part of a funerary ceremony.”
The pieces in “Designing Dynamism: Kuba Textiles from the DR Congo” come from the collection of Wesley Mancini, a Charlotte-based textile designer and prominent member of the LGBTQ+ community.
One of the goals of the exhibit, Carlano said, is to connect other minority groups like African Americans to their roots.
“I hope they are feeling the joy of these textiles and feeling how tremendously ... lucky they are to be connected to this tradition,” Carlano said. "And maybe gives them an access point to their own creativity.”
The exhibit “Designing Dynamism: Kuba Textiles from the DR Congo” is on display through Aug. 23.
