Kith & Kin: the Quilts of Gee’s Bend celebrates the extraordinary work of a group of African American women from a remote river island community in Alabama which embodies a 200-year tradition of making quilts that hold both profound artistic and political significance.

With skills and traditions passed down primarily from mother to daughter, the women of Gee’s Bend have created quilts that are renowned for their improvisational style, bold colours, and abstract designs, often compared to modernist art movements like abstract expressionism.

The quilts serve as both a celebration of African American heritage and a testament to the strength and creativity of women in the face of systemic oppression. This exhibition aims to recognise their invaluable contribution to art, and to ensure that their legacy continues to inspire and enrich future generations.

Co-organised by the Irish Museum of Modern Art/IMMA, Dublin, and Souls Grown Deep, USA, this is the only showing of the exhibition in the UK.