Shipley Art Gallery

This international exhibition, presented in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Port Elizabeth, explores the fascinating history of South African beadwork, with a special focus on the beadwork of the Mfengu people of the Eastern Cape. For generations an essential feature of clothing and accessories worn on special occasions, beadwork is now a symbol of the new South Africa.

The exhibition will be complemented by Journeys in Beadwork: Dialogues in Contemporary Style; a display of contemporary fashion inspired by traditional beadwork, featuring new work from South African fashion designer Laduma Ngxokolo.

Supported by the Friends of the Shipley Art Gallery, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums’ Business Partners and the Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Development Trust.