KOWTOW X RUTH BUCHANAN Scarf

Ethical fashion label Kowtow and Govett-Brewster Art Gallery have collaborated with artist Ruth Buchanan to produce a limited edition collection.

The collaboration ties in with a major new exhibition developed by Buchanan to mark the Gallery’s 50th anniversary launched on Saturday 7 December 2019.

Titled The scene in which I find myself / Or, where does my body belong, the exhibition is a critical interrogation into the Gallery’s collection history, focusing on the cultural imbalances and ultimately the role and success of the museum.

Kowtow has worked with Buchanan to produce a lightweight scarf, hand-loomed from 100% fairtrade certified organic cotton, titled A wavy line is drawn across the middle of the original plans.

Ruth Buchanan says the scarf, which is sized to adapt to many uses, ties in with the exhibition in regards to relationships and the body.

“My kaupapa for this exhibition is coming from a feminist space. The title is a statement of empowerment – thinking that we can choose the terms on how we reflect ourselves, question ourselves or produce ourselves. Like many things in our lives, the woven textile is an unstable document and can be used and claimed in multiple ways, to wrap around your body, your baby, hang on the wall, use as a tablecloth. It’s part of the thinking of the show to reimagine the formation of relating and relationship building.”

All sales from this merchandise help support art and exhibition making at New Zealand’s contemporary art museum.