Nonvisual Language introduced the creative sources behind a new body of work by Azerbaijani artist Faig Ahmed. The exhibition grew out of Ahmed’s study of historical Shipibo textiles in the museum’s collections, research in the museum’s Arthur D. Jenkins Library, and field research conducted in the Peruvian Amazon.

Ahmed, an internationally renowned visual artist from Baku, Azerbaijan, is known for conceptual and sculptural works that deconstruct and reinterpret traditional weaving practices. He represented Azerbaijan at the Venice Biennale in 2007 and 2013, and his works are held in public collections across the United States and internationally.

The exhibition explored parallels between pattern symbolism in woven textiles from Peru and Azerbaijan, presenting Ahmed’s new work alongside historical and contemporary references from the museum’s collections. These included a 20th-century Shipibo skirt, a contemporary Azerbaijani rug, and a 2011 film from Chicago’s Field Museum documenting Shipibo communities in southern Peru.

One of the largest Indigenous groups in the Peruvian Amazon, the Shipibo people create painted, woven and embroidered geometric designs associated with spiritual and therapeutic practices. Ahmed’s research examined these visual and cultural connections alongside the traditions of Azerbaijani carpet weaving.

“Textiles are a language that transcend cultures, generations, and societies,” curator Camille Ann Brewer said. “Ahmed’s artworks engage viewers through a surprising combination of traditional crafts, history, digitally distorted images, three-dimensional shapes, and melting paint that alters the pattern on the rug.”

The exhibition was the culmination of Ahmed’s participation as the first research fellow in the museum’s new artist fellowship program. The program invited professional visual artists working with textiles to develop new work informed by primary-source research into the museum’s historical collections.

Support for the exhibition was provided by the museum’s Fund for Contemporary Textile Art and included public programs, including a free talk by the artist.