Learn more about the commission
The Barbican was designed to be different
Creating Purple Hibiscus
Installing Purple Hibiscus
Watch the transformation of our Lakeside Terrace as Ibrahim Mahama’s Purple Hibiscus was installed over several weeks.
See how the fabric was made
Watch footage of the making of Purple Hibiscus in Tamale where hundreds of craftspeople around Ghana wove the fabric by hand.
Courtesy of Ibrahim Mahama. Filming by OBL Studios, Tamale, Ernest Sackitey and Red Clay, Tamale.
Visit the exhibition
Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art
This major group exhibition features 50 international artists using textiles, fibre and thread to challenge power structures and reimagine the world.