ST. PETERSBURG â Bold diamond shapes, dominant stripes, and eye-dazzling zigzags in brilliant colors are just some of the design elements seen in the stunning artistry of Navajo textile art from the 19th century.
In âColor Riot! How Color Changed Navajo Textiles,â a new special exhibition, individualism and a flair for experimentation of Navajo weavers are vividly expressed in textiles starting from the last decades of the 19th century. During this time, weavers acquired new materials, such as vibrant aniline dyes and complex Germantown yarns. These colors, combined with examples of the design system of Hispanic textiles, touched off experiments with color and design in Navajo weaving that were unprecedented.
DRC-born Emery Mwazulu Diyabanza arrives for the verdict at the Paris Palace of Justice, October 14, 2020; he was fined 2,000 euros ($2,320) for trying to take a 19th-century African funeral pole from a Paris museum [Lewis Joly/AP]
Since July 2020 Mwazulu Diyabanza has staged protests in museums in and around France in an attempt to draw attention to the country’s colonial loot.
In his latest demonstration, he attempted to seize an Indonesian artefact from the Louvre.
Armed with video evidence where he clearly states that his intention is not to steal the objects, Diyabanza is appealing the court’s decision.
In the last few months of 2020, news outlets have referred to Mwazulu Diyabanza as a repatriation activist or advocate. Born in Kinshasa, Diyabanza (41) fled to France as a political refugee. In recent months, he has staged protests in museums across France in an attempt to draw attention to the country’s colonial loot.