Cloth Origins: Textiles from the HMong Journey

Cloth Origins: Textiles from the HMong Journey unravels ancient practices rooted in human connections, landscapes, and ancestral wisdom that nourish people through kinship.

In their migration from China into Southeast Asia, many HMong crossed the Red and Green Rivers centuries ago. These waters signify the colors of a living textile imagination that define real regions between countries where new homelands were made. Nearly fifty years after the HMong have been displaced from these areas, their textile practices and the stories they carry are threatened by capitalism and colonialism.

This exhibition pays homage to the creativity of HMong ancestors and living artists, featuring the works of RedGreen Rivers social enterprise, Sheboygan artisan Xao Yang Lee, and artist Ka Oskar Ly.

Showcasing handmade textiles, RedGreen Rivers focuses on the cultural significance of hemp fibers. Co-designing with artisans, they raise awareness of indigenous practices that ensure people, cultures, and communities thrive.

Lee shares pieces from her life-long work in paj ntaub needlework, presenting a collection of embroidery, appliqué, and reverse-appliqué pieces that embody the entrepreneurial spirit of HMong matriarchs throughout the diaspora.

Tying these threads together, Ly sculpts an immersive installation with HMong batik from a gender expansive lineage. Made during their Ancestral Futures residency workshops held throughout Sheboygan, their work transports us through indigo gateways. Together, it weaves possibilities where tradition meets imagination beyond gallery walls.

Co-curated by Ka Oskar Ly, KaYing Yang, and Pachia Lucy Vang, Cloth Origins is a kindred exhibition to Cloth as Land: Hmong Indigeneity, which runs November 18, 2023, through June 16, 2024, at the Arts Center.