Description
A dynamic exploration of the breadth of the bold Kuba design aesthetic and its lasting impact on early 20th-century modernism through to the present day.
The textiles of the Kuba kingdom (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), represent the most intact and cohesive tradition in the region, and are exceptional for their artistic calibre, graphic sophistication and complexity of style. The written story of Kuba cloth in the West begins with encounters in the early 16th century between the coastal Congo kingdoms and European explorers who were impressed by the elegance and intricacy of Congo textiles. In the early 20th century, the Kuba improvisational abstract aesthetic captivated the western avant-garde, influencing fashion, fabric design and the decorative arts.
In addition to presenting full colour plates of up to 50 pieces, Designing Dynamism features illustrations of modern European textiles, contemporary woven Wesley Mancini fabrics and an illustrated introduction to Kuba textiles. The volume also includes an essay on Kuba design and its influence on modern and contemporary designers, and an essay by the only African American to have won the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award in Product Design. A brief illustrated section focuses on the embroidery techniques of prestige cloths.
Vanesssa Drake Moraga
Edited by Annie Carlano
Contributions by Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper
Illustrations by Joel Smeltzer
Author biographies
Vanessa Drake Moraga is an independent researcher, curator and writer specializing in the textile arts.
Annie Carlano is senior curator of Craft, Design & Fashion at the Mint Museum, NC.
Stephen Burks founded the design company Stephen Burks Man Made, which integrates craft traditions into his visionary products and installations, most recently Porches at the 2025 Venice Architectural Biennale.
Malika Leiper is cultural director of Stephen Burks Man Made.
Joel Smeltzer is the head of School and Gallery Programs at the Mint Museum, NC.
Table of Contents
- Sponsor’s statement
- Foreword by Todd A. Herman, PhD
- Introduction: The Persistence of Kuba Design by Annie Carlano
- Designing Dynamism: The Past, Present, and Future of Kuba Textiles by Stephen Burks
- Patterns of Influence. Kuba textile art as inspiration in 20th century design by Vanessa Drake Moraga
- Illustrations (4 Kuba motifs: Woot, Imbol, Lapstoong, Naam) by Joel Smeltzer
- Kuba textile plates
- Image credits
- Acknowledgments
