You Stretched Diagonally Across It: Contemporary Tapestry
You Stretched Diagonally Across It: Contemporary Tapestry is an expansive exhibition examining how contemporary artists challenge the material, ideological, and narrative conventions of tapestry. Its title comes from a letter by Franz Kafka, in which he imagines his father’s presence woven across a map of the world. Curator Su Wu presents tapestry as a medium in which image and underlying structure cannot be separated, using the works to test boundaries between art and craft, perception and touch, tradition and improvisation.
The exhibition brings together twenty-five international artists whose works consider authenticity, the tension between duration and technological efficiency, and the difficulty of representing vastness and omniscience in physical form. The presentation also explores the movement of people, materials, plants, and trade colors, as well as the unstable and sometimes unverifiable nature of identity. Alongside twenty-four works organized by Wu, the museum includes pieces from its collection by Ed Ruscha and Mika Tajima, a recent tapestry by Philadelphia-based artist David Hartt, and a new large-scale commission by Qualeasha Wood created during her Fabric Workshop and Museum residency.
When: July 16, 2026–January 3, 2027
Venue: The Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
Galleries: The exhibition is presented in the second- and eighth-floor galleries.
Tickets: Free admission with a suggested $10 donation; admission is included with general admission.
Curator: Su Wu, a Mexico City-based writer and independent curator whose work examines the intersections of art, craft, design, and architecture.
Artists: Caroline Achaintre, Yto Barrada, Diedrick Brackens, Melissa Cody, Jovencio de la Paz, Kira Dominguez Hultgren, Josh Faught, Christina Forrer, Sanaa Gateja, David Hartt, Consuelo Jiménez Underwood, Sanam Khatibi, Alicja Kowalska, Tomasz Kowalski, Candice Lin, Goshka Macuga, Christy Matson, Mai-Thu Perret, Sarah Rosalena, Ed Ruscha, Analia Saban, Kiki Smith, Mika Tajima, Qualeasha Wood, and Miranda Fengyuan Zhang.
Featured Philadelphia Artists: David Hartt is represented by a recent tapestry, while Qualeasha Wood contributes a new large-scale commission made for the exhibition through her Fabric Workshop and Museum residency.
Related Material: The museum provides exhibition essays by Su Wu, art critic and writer Travis Diehl, poet and critic Grant Johnson, and curator and historian Camille Okhio.
Support: Support for the exhibition is provided by the Coby Foundation, Katie Adams Schaeffer, and Tony Schaeffer.