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UPDATED JANUARY 26, 2026

The Mint Museum proudly presents Designing Dynamism: Kuba Textiles from the DR Congo, The Wesley Mancini Collection

On view February 21–August 23, 2026 at Mint Museum Randolph

Charlotte, North Carolina (December 11, 2025) — The Mint Museum announces Designing Dynamism: Kuba Textiles from the DR Congo, The Wesley Mancini Collection, on view February 21–August 23, 2026, at Mint Museum Randolph.

Designing Dynamism celebrates the intricate visual language and extraordinary craftsmanship of the Kuba people from the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Through labor-intensive techniques, Kuba artists transform natural materials, such as palm fibers and tree bark, into complex textile designs.

Kuba design, known for its distinctive asymmetrical patterns, has inspired generations of modern and contemporary artists. The exhibition highlights outstanding examples of Kuba artistry, examining both the influence of these motifs on global design trends and the enduring creativity of contemporary artists working in the DR Congo today.

The exhibition space is designed by Stephen Burks Man Made, recognized for elevating handmade traditions through global and industrial collaborations. The exhibition space is designed as an immersive journey organized into three interconnected sections—Past, Present, and Future.

Included in the Future section is a craft-driven short film, “In Search of Kuba, created by Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper, co-founders of Stephen Burks Man Made. The film follows a collective of contemporary Kuba artisans carrying forward the traditions of their ancestors and highlights the vital role the Kilubukila workshop plays in preserving and sustaining traditional Kuba textile practices.

All works in the exhibition are recent gifts to The Mint Museum from Wesley Mancini, a Charlotte-based textile designer who has assembled one of the region’s most significant collections of Kuba textiles.

“This exhibition honors a powerful artistic tradition that continues to influence contemporary design worldwide,” says Annie Carlano, senior curator of Craft, Design, and Fashion at The Mint Museum and curator of the exhibition. “We are thrilled to share the richness of Kuba creativity with our community, and we are grateful to Wesley Mancini for gifting his collection to the Mint.”

A central focus of the exhibition is a remarkable selection of prestige cloths—square or rectangular embroidered weavings made from raffia vinifera, a palm-leaf fiber native to the DR Congo. These cloths feature imaginative geometric patterns created through flat and cut-pile embroidery, the latter producing a plush, velvety surface.

Traditionally created for the Kuba king, dignitaries, or funerary rites, prestige textiles are distinguished by their complex graphic design, asymmetry, and discontinuous patterns. During the 17th and 18th centuries, wealth from the ivory trade enabled the Kuba to commission opulent regalia and ceremonial textiles. By the mid to late 1880s, Belgian colonial encroachment threatened their sovereignty and access to resources. As a result, Kuba textiles increasingly entered European markets, where they captivated modernist artists such as Henri Matisse, Suzanne Valadon, and Sonia Delaunay.

In addition to prestige cloths, the exhibition presents intricately decorated women’s overskirts, beaded belts, and a film by Stephen Burks Man Made that reflects the continuing vitality of Kuba aesthetics—demonstrating the cultural significance, ceremonial depth, and artistic innovation of Kuba textile traditions.

A scholarly, richly illustrated catalogue published by D. Giles Ltd. accompanies the exhibition. Edited by Annie Carlano, it features a major essay by independent scholar Vanessa Drake Moraga and contributions by Malika Leiper and Stephen Burks.

Designing Dynamism: Kuba Textiles from the DR Congo, The Wesley Mancini Collection is generously presented by Wells Fargo. Individual sponsorship is provided by Hillary and Fairfax Cooper and Lauren Harkey. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the City of Charlotte and the North Carolina Arts Council.

“Wells Fargo is honored to provide underwriting for this this exhibition that not only focuses on the design and history of these incredible textiles but also has compelling community engagement programs incorporated into the visitor experience,” says Jay Everette, head of community relations at Wells Fargo public affairs.

OPENING EXHIBITION EVENTS

Curator Conversation with Designers Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper
February 19, 7:30–8:30 PM | Mint Museum Randolph | FREE

Senior Curator of Craft, Design, and Fashion Annie Carlano welcomes Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper, design partners in the studio Stephen Burks Man Made, to discuss Kuba textiles and their design of Designing Dynamism. Burks and Leiper are known for their globally collaborative work uniting industrial design with craft, community, and social engagement with artisans worldwide. Burks is an acclaimed industrial designer, while Leiper is a researcher, urban strategist, and cultural director for the studio.

Patterns of Influence: A Talk with Vanessa Drake Moraga
February 21, 2–3 PM | Mint Museum Randolph | FREE
Vanessa Drake Moraga, author of “Weaving Abstraction: Kuba Textiles and the Woven Art of Central Africa,” presents a talk that traces the history of the western adaptation, appropriation, and appreciation of Kuba surface design and textile artistry from the turn of the 20th century. Moraga is a curator and scholar known for her study of African textiles.

CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE + DESIGNER SERIES

Accompanying the exhibition is a design lecture series featuring renowned designers representing international innovations across a wide range of design disciplines. Scheduled speakers include Kyle Spence, Kim Mupangilai, Ini Archibong, and the duo Dimitri Zephyr and Florian Dach. The series kicks off in early spring 2026. Check mintmuseum.org/events for details to come.

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ABOUT THE MINT MUSEUM

Established in 1936 as North Carolina’s first art museum, The Mint Museum is a leading, innovative cultural institution dedicated to international art and design. With two locations—Mint Museum Randolph in the heart of Eastover and Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts—the Mint houses one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

ABOUT STEPHEN BURKS MAN MADE

As partners in the award-winning studio Stephen Burks Man Made, Malika Leiper and Stephen Burks have forged a unique approach to design at the intersection of craft, community, and industry. Their nomadic workshop-based practice embraces the challenge to advocate for hand production as a strategy for innovation, which has brought them to over 20 countries on six continents. Spanning the disciplines of art, architecture, and industrial design, they have distinguished themselves through socially engaged partnerships that contribute to a more inclusive and pluralistic vision of design.

ABOUT WELLS FARGO

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $2.1 trillion in assets. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 33 on Fortune’s 2025 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories

For more information, contact:

Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704.564.0826

Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186

Art in the slow lane

By Page Leggett

The muse doesn’t automatically appear before photographer/videographer DaRemen J. He has to look — patiently — for inspiration. DaRemen J. doesn’t want his artistic practice to be rushed.

Occasionally, the Charlotte native will have an idea and immediately move on it, he says, but most of the time, it does take a lot of planning. And that takes time.

To explain just how slowly he likes to take things, he employs a metaphor familiar to most of us. “Before I even have a subject,” he says, “it’s like I have to sit in the DMV line and wait to be called. I have to wait for the idea to really strike a chord before I can all-the-way commit. I have to take my time.” DaRemen’s art is much more appealing than your typical visit to the DMV, though.

The mostly self-taught filmmaker/photographer/visual artist (he began in 2013 by shooting pictures on his phone) grew up in Charlotte, graduated from Butler High School and then went on to the Art Institute of Charlotte where he found he was good at photography. But he dropped out because he “wasn’t learning much.” Besides, he was working two jobs at the time and had little time for studies. He found experience to be a better teacher. And it has worked out well.

His work has been exhibited widely in Charlotte, including at the Mint. He was among artists featured in Local/Street curated by artist Carla Aaron-Lopez. At a Wednesday Night Live event, he was on hand to shoot guests’ portraits. His work has also been shown at the Gantt Center, The Light Factory, and Camp North End for the Durag Fest and Hunnid Dolla Art Fair.

Up next with the Mint, his portraits and short films will be showcased as part of the Constellation CLT exhibition at Mint Museum Uptown opening March 14, 2025.

Every picture tells a story

DaRemen is both a fine art photographer and a commercial photographer, which can be a tough line to straddle. He describes his style as “Afro-surrealism.” Clients seek him out for commercial work because, he says, his “nostalgic, dream-like and cinematic” aesthetic appeals to them. He also insists that his work — whether a still or moving image — tells a story.

“I’m always studying paintings, illustrations and comic books,” he says. “And I study them because I’m always looking for narratives. I want to see how other artists capture or tell a story in a single photo.”

Even his portraits — almost all of African Americans —aren’t just run-of-the-mill headshots. The viewer learns something about the subject, based on the setting in which they are photographed, what they are wearing, their facial expressions and the way they are posing. Some of his portraits look like high-fashion shoots; others are slice-of-life shots taken on city streets, under a fire escape, in front of a convenience store.

Even though DaRemen looks for a narrative when framing a shot or filming a scene, he doesn’t want viewers to have to work too hard to see the meaning he found in the work. Just stopping, even for a moment, to look is enough for him.

“I’m grateful to anyone who stops to look at my work. We all have such short attention spans today; everything is moving so fast. So, for anyone to stop, take a breath and look — I’m appreciative.”

Coming into his own

The imagery is so distinctive, you wouldn’t guess that DaRemen ever doubted his talent or style. But when he was first starting out, he’d compare himself to other photographers and filmmakers. The search for his own approach and aesthetic is what he considers his biggest creative challenge.   

“I used to feel I had to fit into a certain niche. It’s been important to my practice that I just come into my own. Especially with the internet, there’s a lot of pressure to be as good as someone whose work you admire on social media. So, honing my skill and my style is probably my biggest hurdle.”

Another challenge he is familiar with: “Making money at it is very hard.” DaRemen has done it in his hometown — a place where he’s “almost overwhelmed by how many talented people are here.” He appreciates how The Mint Museum elevates local artists by shining a spotlight on them. 

“The Mint has opened the door for all types of art,” he says. “They’re bringing a lot of attention to local artists. I never thought my work would be showcased in a museum — and it’s a big deal to be encouraged in that way.

Learn more about DaRemen J. — and see his work — on his Instagram page @1stkind. 

Page Leggett is a Charlotte-based freelance writer. Her stories have appeared in The Charlotte Observer, The Biscuit, Charlotte magazine and many other regional publications.

The newest rotation in the museum’s Romare Bearden gallery — Ever Present: Romare Bearden and Music — celebrates the artist’s love of and long engagement with music. From his earliest paintings to his final collages, music was a recurring theme in Romare Bearden’s art. This selection of more than a dozen examples of Bearden’s work, drawn entirely from The Mint Museum’s rich holdings, highlights some of the many ways he explored musical subjects in drawings, prints, and collages.

Music was a foundational part of Bearden’s life. His father, Howard, was a pianist and organist, and other members of his extended family had musical talents as well. A grand piano enlivened their apartment in Harlem, which was visited by a variety of musicians who were close friends of the family, including Fats Waller and Duke Ellington. One of Bearden’s memories of visiting relatives in Maryland as a teenager involved delivering cakes made by a family friend accompanied by her husband, a blind folk artist, who strummed a guitar as they made their rounds.

Bearden also enjoyed listening to music while he worked and likened the process of making art to that of playing jazz: “You do something, then you improvise,” he would say.

In this installation, many types of musical performances are featured, ranging from impromptu porch jam sessions to the immersive world of clubs and lounges. Sometimes the instruments and performers are easy to identify; in others the visual equivalent of the sounds and experiences they are creating is more prominent, abstracting the scene.

The installation also includes an example of Bearden’s own talent as a composer in the sheet music and record for the hit  song “Seabreeze” (1954) that he composed with Larry Douglas and Fred Norman. Visitors can scan a QR code and listen to the tune in the gallery. —Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, senior curator of American Art