Textiles are having a powerful moment in contemporary art, and it’s not just a trend. It’s a redefinition.

Once dismissed as domestic craft or “women’s work,” textile art has moved from the margins into the heart of the contemporary art world. Artists today are reclaiming thread, fiber, and cloth to speak of resilience, identity, memory, and change, creating works that are both materially rich and conceptually bold.

At The Edit Gallery, we’ve seen a growing interest in textile-based practices both from collectors and from artists pushing the medium in radical new directions. This post explores why textile art resonates now more than ever, and how collectors can thoughtfully begin (or deepen) their engagement with it.

Why Textiles — Why Now?

In a world saturated by screens, speed, and spectacle, textile art invites slowness. It offers tactility. It connects us with the hand, the body, and time.

Many of today’s most exciting contemporary artists are turning to textile techniques: embroidery, weaving, dyeing, quilting, knotting,  not just for their aesthetic potential, but for the stories they can hold. These are works that carry ancestral knowledge, feminist resistance, ecological urgency, and deeply personal narratives.

We are witnessing a revival not just of craft, but of care.

The Rise of Textile Art in the Art World

Textile art is no longer hidden in the corners of craft shows. It’s centre stage at major biennials, museum exhibitions, and art fairs around the world. Institutions are acquiring it, collectors are asking for it, and curators are building shows around it.

Why? Because textile works speak to our time. They reflect a longing for authenticity, a renewed interest in labor and process, and an openness to diverse cultural expressions. Softness, once seen as secondary, is now recognised as strength.

Threads That Speak

One of the most compelling aspects of textile art is that it merges material with message: an embroidered phrase, a hand-dyed cloth, a stitched scar, all become vehicles for meaning.

Textiles have long histories. They wrap our bodies, signal belonging, carry ritual, and mark transitions. In contemporary art, they are used to explore themes like gender, migration, trauma, healing, and the politics of care. Every fiber can hold a story.

Thinking About Collecting Textile Art?

Whether you’re building a collection or discovering the medium for the first time, here are some tips:

• Learn the Craft: Understand the techniques involved — from weaving to hand-stitching — to appreciate the time and intention behind each piece.

• Ask About Meaning: Textile works often carry personal or political narratives. Ask the artist or gallery about the story behind the work.

• Consider Care: Textiles are sensitive to light and humidity. Many are framed under glass or in shadow boxes for protection.

• Explore Beyond the Frame: Many textile works are sculptural or immersive. Be open to new forms.

• Support Emerging Artists: Many rising voices today are using textiles in exciting, meaningful ways.

• Trust Your Eye: If a piece speaks to you — if it holds something you want to live with — it’s worth considering.

Final Thoughts

To collect textile art is to collect something alive — something shaped by hand, time, and meaning. In an era where resilience, transformation, and softness matter more than ever, these works offer something rare: depth with intimacy, fragility with power.

At The Edit Gallery, we’re proud to work with artists who are redefining what textiles can be — and what they can say. If you’re interested in learning more or exploring works currently available, we’d love to hear from you.