At Weaving Stories, you’ll have a vibrant encounter with one of the oldest and most intimate forms of art. From birth to death, we are swaddled, wrapped, or shrouded in cloth. Textiles not only protect and adorn our homes, our sacred spaces, and our bodies but also communicate identity, status, and faith.

This exhibition brings together nearly 45 outstanding examples of textiles from dozens of communities in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, most dating to the 19th and 20th centuries — the vast majority of which have never been exhibited before — to explore how fabrics were woven into the daily lives of the peoples of Southeast Asia. Fascinating archival photographs and multimedia displays illustrate how these textiles were made and used.