Threaded Heritage: Symbolism, Ritual & Memory in Northeast Textiles

The India International Centre (IIC) presents ‘Threaded Heritage: Symbolism, Ritual and Memory in Northeast Textiles’, a new exhibition that explores how textiles act as a visual language expressing cultural iconography and meaning.

Curated by Sentila T Yanger, the exhibition will be accompanied by live demonstrations by weavers from the Northeast at the gallery.

Patterns, motifs and colours often communicate cultural narratives representing cosmologies, social status, kinship and connections to land and ancestry. Within these designs, threads become symbols that articulate identity and belonging.

Equally significant is the ritualistic role of textiles within cultural practices. From ceremonial garments to sacred cloths used in rites of passage, textiles often mediate moments of transformation - birth, marriage, initiation and death. In these contexts, fabric moves beyond functionality to become an object of spiritual and communal significance.

By presenting textiles as living archives of memory, ‘Threaded Heritage’ is a textile exhibition that explores the rich cultural identity, history and artistry woven into the traditional textiles of Northeast India. It invites audiences to reflect on the enduring power of thread as a metaphor and material of connection.

To be on view at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, IIC, the exhibition will run till April 12, 7 pm.