Posts about inventory, events, store news
Preview a Shipment of Antiques Arriving in 6 Weeks! (early July arrival) Including many Indian and British Colonial 19th/early 20th cabinets and sideboards, all in ready to use condition. Please let us know if you have any questions, contact info@materialculture.com
With more than 1,000 guests attending Jonathan Demme's Pre-Auction Exhibition Party and the successful weekend-long Auction that followed, we would like to thank those who participated in making all of the events a great success!
Join Jonathan Demme with friends in person at Material Culture for a special pre-auction exhibition party on Friday, March 28, from 7-11 p.m., with live music and refreshments. Admission to the party and the weeklong exhibition are free and open to the public. The Friday night party starts off a weekend of auctions dedicated solely to the superb self-taught art collection of Jonathan Demme.
Isabella de la Houssaye, Curator of the "Decoding The Veil" exhibition at Material Culture Area women talk about the garment's meaning; Philly exhibit explores the history of why and how women wear them From The News Journal, Wilmington, DE By Margie Fishman Dec 1, 2013 Wajeeha Choudhary began covering her hair at age 15. Adolescence was a tumultuous time, she remembers. Her hijab, or headscarf, protected her from the male gaze to some degree, while allowing her intellect and personality to shine through. "I saw it as a point of stability in my life," says Choudhary, a Muslim. "I started donning it and I had a better sense of myself and my identity." Now a doctoral student at Drexel University who lives in Media, Pa, she studies how veiled Muslim women negotiate the workplace. While critics argue that the tradition of hiding a woman's physical beauty is draconian or oppressive, Choudhary believes society's obsession with appearance is the real injustice. "Think about how much pressure there is in our society for women to be portrayed as beautiful," she says. "It just gets tiring – to constantly be on the watch of how you look every minute of the [...]
November 1 to December 29 The Veil Code: A Cross Cultural Survey of Veils and Traditional Dress From Asia, Africa and the Middle East Featuring items from the collection of Isabella de la Houssaye, Princeton, NJ Reception: Friday Nov 1, 7 pm - 11 pm
November 1 to 17 Material Culture Presents: The Afghan Peace Rug Project Reception: Friday Nov. 1 from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. For the past 30 years, Afghan war rugs have been highly valued and internationally collected as pieces of modern folk art. These rugs, woven by Afghan village artisans since 1979 following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, depict images of the wars and conflict that have been a trademark of this country for the past three decades. In an effort to both revitalize the Afghan economy and reshape its image from one of war to one of peace, Material Culture has partnered with a group of village rug producers in Afghanistan to launch the Peace Rug Project. Working with the same village artisans who have been weaving images of tanks, guns and hand grenades for years, the Peace Rug Project has challenged these artisans to leave behind this imagery and weave instead images of peace. Small, folk-art sized wool carpets using natural dyes and depicting images of flowers, birds, animals, village life, and all manner of personal expression, have begun to emerge from Afghan villages and Material Culture is proud to bring them to the international market. This series of [...]
Saturday November 2, 2 p.m. Mexican Folk Devotional Retablos Presented by Joseph F. Chorpenning, Editorial Director at Saint Joseph’s University Press. This illustrated lecture will focus particularly on the Mexican retablos being offered for sale at the November 3rd auction. Free, Open to the Public
Material Culture presents: Friends An Exhibition Featuring Works by Jim Bloom, Vladan Gradistanac, Mr. Imagination, Maryann Matlock Hinkle, and Prince Twins Seven Seven July 1-Aug 30, 2013 Jim Bloom (1968- ) Jim was recently the subject of an essay titled “Stories of Wit and Irony” by Ron Schira in Raw Vision Magazine (Spring/Summer 2012 RV 75, p. 44-47). Jim was born in Allentown but has spent most of his adult life in Philadelphia. From childhood on, Bloom has been making visual art that is directly related to his own experiences, as well as his interests in film, story-telling, and the visual languages of his culture. Using collage drawing and painting, Bloom conjures an immediacy of action, story and relationship. We are excited to have recently acquired over one-thousand works by Jim Bloom. Strangers are Strange, an exhibition of works by Jim Bloom will run September 21- October 27, 2013. An exhibition catalogue will be available for sale. Vladan Gradistanac (1970- ) Vladan holds a BFA from the University of Fine Arts in Belgrade, Serbia where he taught art history and painting. A painter and photographer, his work has been exhibited in both the United States and Europe. While living [...]
Material Culture will host an event to celebrate the unveiling of the Padmini boutique line in the store, on November 17, from 6-10 PM. The evening is free and open to the public, and will feature live music, refreshments, door prizes, and a champagne toast at 8 PM. Below is additional information about the performers at this event: A life-long singer, Ramesh Vagheri studied music in his homeland of India, bringing the rich musical styles of devotional Bhajan, and Kirtan, and the poetic Ghazal to the United States, where he know lives. Daniel Johnson is a Philadelphia-based Tabla player and percussionist. Extensive study of Tabla in the US and India, along with performances with Spoken Hand, jazz legend Badal Roys “Dharma Jazz”, Grammy-winner Paul Winter Consort, and many others have kept him moving further into the subtle pulsations of his musical aesthetic. In Philadelphia, he is active playing with The Vehicle and with Hennessey Bonfire. Performance by tribal belly dancer Kirie will accompany the music for much of the evening. Kirie has been dancing for seventeen years, and now dances with Zadyra & the Underbellies and Troupe Syn. She is the owner of Midnight Orchid Design, the manager of a [...]
Material Culture is excited to present a new home for Colors by Padmini, a designer line of soft furnishings, clothing and accessories inspired by the rich hues and vibrant spirit of Indian textiles and the subcontinent itself. These items of fashion and home décor are all individually crafted by hand. Padmini sources handmade textiles and authentic raw materials, including vintage saris, traditional Indian silk, and antique bridal dresses of sequenced fabric, to create luminous fashion pieces and iridescent furnishings. Home decor products now available at Material Culture through Padmini include bedding sets, pillows, shams, bolsters, table runners, sheer window treatments, ottomans and poufs, while the fashion line includes maxi skirts and dresses, wrap skirts, belts, tops, tunics, jackets, scarves, shawls, jewelry and bags. Colors by Padmini is the creation of Iris Shamir, who was given the name ‘Padmini Anand’ by her spiritual teacher in India. With a fine arts background and a degree in Interior Design from London University, Iris travelled to India, immediately finding there a rich source for inspiration. She travelled extensively, exploring textile traditions from northern Kashmir, across the Ladhak desert, to Varanasi, Goa and southern India, Pune, and Mumbai. Eventually, her route back north took her [...]
