Needlework in Africa

Examines sewing, embroidery, weaving, tattooing and related practices as vital acts of self-expression, identity formation, and agency, offering fresh perspectives on African cultural histories.

This beautifully crafted book explores needlework – encompassing sewing, embroidery, weaving, quilting, tattooing and more – as a lens for understanding gendered and marginalised histories and identities. It reveals how needlework offers a platform for self-expression and historical storytelling as well as serving as an alternative archive.

This beautifully crafted book explores needlework; encompassing sewing, embroidery, weaving, quilting, tattooing and more; as a lens for understanding gendered and marginalised histories and identities. Through case studies from across Africa, it highlights the work of fashion designers, weavers, seamstresses, LGBTQI activists and artists. Their work reveals how needlework shapes and challenges identities, gender roles and social structures, offering a platform for selfexpression and historical storytelling. This collection also shows how embroidery, specifically, has enabled economic agency.
Far from trivial, needlework serves as an alternative archive, uncovering voices often sidelined. The book examines how practices like beadwork, tapestry and crochet reflect complex ideas of gender, identity and belonging in African contexts. Each chapter illustrates how these crafts empower makers to tell their stories, blending artistry with cultural and historical significance.
With striking visuals, this volume invites readers to see needlework anew; not as mere craft, but as a vital tool for documenting and reimagining history. It challenges assumptions about its importance, showing how these everyday acts of creation amplify marginalised perspectives. Needlework in Africa is an engaging read for those interested in how textiles and craftsmanship weave powerful narratives of identity and resilience.