Travelling exhibition
KANGA – THE TALKIN CLOTHS
Kanga with heart motif and message: Let us enjoy God’s goodness (Photo: MAU)
Castle of Culture (Zamak kulture)
30 September – 25 November 2026
Exhibition opening: 30 September 2026 at 2 p.m.
The exhibition Kanga - The Talkin Cloths, created by the Museum of African Art in Belgrade, will be on view at the Castle of Culture in Vrnjačka Banja throughout October and November this year. This presentation is organised in collaboration with the Cultural Centre of Vrnjačka Banja.
The exhibition is dedicated to kanga cloths—industrially produced fabrics in vibrant colours, with striking patterns and aphoristic sayings in Kiswahili. Kangas have been used in women’s clothing in East Africa for nearly 150 years, and have evolved into a ubiquitous symbol of Swahili culture. The display explores the various meanings and uses of kanga textiles, from their historical emergence as symbols of emancipation and modernity, through their communicative function within the “women’s domain,” to their contemporary reinterpretations in politics, ritual life, fashion, art and cultural practices.
The exhibition features original textiles from Kenya, Tanzania and the Republic of South Africa, fashion designs by Tanzanian designers Farouque Abdela and Christine Mhando, and paintings by Tanzanian artist Iddi Mikidadi Bush. The installation is complemented by a 13-minute documentary The Kanga Talks, based on the exhibition author’s research visit to Tanzania (Stone Town and Dar es Salaam) in September and October 2024.
Exhibition author: Aleksandra Bojović, Senior Curator
Kanga cloth with message: I know myself, rumours cannot hurt me (Photo: MAU)
Kanga with Kenyan flag and inscription: Proud to be Kenyan (Photo: MAU)
Kanga cloths with different motifs (Photo: MAU)
Musicians in shirts tailored from kisutu kangas – Stone Town, 2024 (Photo: Aleksandra Bojović)
Nida Textiles kanga shop in Dar es Salaam, 2024 (Photo: Aleksandra Bojović)
