Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Rooms, 2nd Floor North
Curated by: Mya Lewis
Between the folds of this world, lingering pieces of one’s own gossamer, narrative threads lay waiting to be unearthed and held.
To Be Remembered: Woven Matters of the Heart embraces the reflective ways in which five contemporary textile artists illuminate their rich interior worlds through their unique fiber practices. The artists: ebere agwuncha, Nnaemeka Ekwelum, Hale Ekinci, Josué Esaú, and Thương Hoài Trần each visually intertwine time, memory, and emotion to conjure deeply felt histories across spatial geographies, venerating the cultural traces that connect us to the motherlands.
Embedded in their designs and motifs, the artworks’ layered meanings preserve cultural continuity through extensive research that awakens their ancestors’ legacies and gifts. The works create new pathways to becoming closer to one another, communicating how we become and become undone within the ever-changing cycles of life. Skillfully made by hand, the artists guide us in how we learn to weave our own personal mythologies.
The magic in life is apparent, and we invite you to find it within.
Friday, August 21, 2026
4-7 p.m.
Opening Reception
Chicago Rooms, 2nd Floor North
Saturday, September 19, 2026
2 p.m.
Artist Talk
Chicago Rooms, 2nd Floor North
Saturday, October 3, 2026
12:30-2 p.m.
meditation on: sculptural portals, a visual lecture by ebere agwuncha
Claudia Cassidy Theater, 2nd Floor North
Through exploring familial archives, local collections, and diasporic memories, this presentation will expand the site-specific sculptural portals created by the artist, ebere agwuncha, for the exhibition To Be Remembered: Woven Matters of the Heart. sculptural portals incorporate oral histories from agwuncha’s parents, who immigrated from Nigeria to Chicago in the 1980s, alongside traditional Igbo craft to expand the significance of art-making through an active archiving practice. This event offers a deeper dive into the research and personal history behind agwuncha’s installation, giving the audience an intimate look into an artist’s process.
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Noon - 2 p.m.
Woven Vessel Workshop with ebere agwuncha
Chicago Rooms, 2nd Floor North
The Woven Vessel Workshop invites creatives of all skill levels to learn basket weaving techniques to craft a unique functional object. This workshop is facilitated by ebere agwuncha, a transdisciplinary artist from Chicago. Visitors will have the opportunity to make a woven basket and utilize beads as adornment for their work. Supplies are provided and are limited for the event.
Saturday, December 5, 2026
Noon - 2 p.m.
Weaving Workshop with Thương Hoài Trần
Chicago Rooms, 2nd Floor North
Join us for an accessible, hands-on weaving workshop that utilizes affordable materials such as cardboard and secondhand yarn. This workshop explores how to approach weaving without a specialized loom, making the process more accessible to beginners and those without access to traditional weaving equipment.
Friday, December 11, 2026
Noon - 2 p.m.
Weaving Workshop with Thương Hoài Trần
Learning Lab, 1st Floor South
Join us for an accessible, hands-on weaving workshop that utilizes affordable materials such as cardboard and secondhand yarn. This workshop explores how to approach weaving without a specialized loom, making the process more accessible to beginners and those without access to traditional weaving equipment.
Image: Kỷ Niệm Ngày Cưới: Burgundy and Gold, Thương Hoài Trần, 34" x 28", 2021. Photo credit: Thương Hoài Trần;
