Rare collection of textiles featuring Dali and Picasso on show at Aberdeen Art Gallery

A new exhibition exploring textiles and fashion by leading artists is set to open in Aberdeen.

Artist Textiles – Picasso to Warhol explores works on fabric as a popular art form in 20th century Britain, Europe, and the United States.

Rare examples by artists including Alexander Calder, Salvador Dalí, Sonia Delaunay, Raoul Dufy, Barbara Hepworth, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Ben Nicholson, and Andy Warhol will be on display.

The exhibition arrives in Aberdeen following an international tour in Europe, the US, Canada, Europe, and China and comes from the private collection of guest curators Geoff Rayner and Richard Chamberlain.

It features over 130 items by some 40 artists, including 19 garments and a special selection of works by contemporary artists and designers: Damien Hirst, Howard Hodgkin, Zandra Rhodes, Sterling Ruby and Valentino.

Artist Textiles - Picasso to Warhol exhibition opens at Aberdeen Art Gallery — Artist Textiles – Picasso to Warhol exhibition opens at Aberdeen Art Gallery Aberdeen City Council

Artist Textiles – Picasso to Warhol begins in the 1910s with the artists of Bloomsbury’s Omega Workshops – Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and Roger Fry – who wanted to change the “erroneous distinction between fine and applied art.”

After the Second World War the movement to create “a masterpiece in every home” flowered with the involvement of leading contemporary artists including John Piper, Salvador Dalí and Ben Nicholson.

Eventually, these art textiles were turned into commercial clothing: a Joan Miró dress, a Salvador Dalí tie.

By the 1960s, Pablo Picasso was allowing his pictures to be printed on almost any fabric, save upholstery.

The sofa was a line the artist would not cross, as the curators note: “Picassos may be leaned against, not sat on.”

Dennis Nothdruft, head of Exhibitions at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London said: “The Fashion and Textile Museum is pleased to work with our colleagues at Aberdeen Art Gallery to bring Artist Textiles: Picasso to Warhol to this beautiful venue.

“We at the Museum are proud of our continued partnership with the Art Gallery and look forward to
future projects and collaborations.

“Artist Textiles is an important exhibition featuring a singular private collection that explores the interaction of fine art with applied art.

“The exhibition’s iteration at Aberdeen Art Gallery will showcase exclusive additions by contemporary artist and designers, highlighting the continuation of cross-discipline dialogues.”

Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesperson, said: “This fascinating survey of textiles reflecting major art movements such as Cubism, Surrealism and Pop Art promises visitors a visual feast.

“Aberdeen’s outstanding collection is a source of great pride for us in the city and many of the artists featured in this important exhibition are represented in Aberdeen’s outstanding collection.

“The Gallery team looks forward to welcoming visitors to this remarkable exhibition which shows how people were once able to enjoy and engage with modern art through their clothing and home furnishings.”

The display will be on at Aberdeen Art Gallery from November 23 to April 13, 2025.