Sarah Zapata Transforms Donghia’s Sumptuous, Richly Colored Textiles into Spectacular New Artworks
For a special commission, the Brooklyn-based artist conceived one-of-a-kind works using hand-selected fabrics from the brand's New York studio
Buzzworthy artist Sarah Zapata is celebrated for her transformative installations that masterfully employ weaving, tufting, and traditional craft techniques. Based in Brooklyn, she has displayed her striking site-specific works at galleries, museums, and art fairs around the world. Recently, Zapata embraced a new challenge: a special project with Donghia, the esteemed American brand specializing in fabric, wall covering, furniture, and lighting founded by American designer Angelo Donghia in 1968.
For this unique artistic collaboration, Zapata conceived one-of-a-kind pieces using richly colored textiles that the artist, given carte blanche, selected from Donghia’s New York studio. “With every exhibition, I begin with research and really thinking about honoring the material,” says Zapata, who fashioned an organically shaped floor sculpture and two hanging wall works, all of which will go on view at Salon Art + Design at the Park Avenue Armory in New York in early November. “My life’s investigation truly is weaving and how that can be manifested in a lot of different ways. I approached this project in much the same way.”
Zapata spent time meticulously hand-sewing rich silk, cotton, and wool velvets together to form an exciting kaleidoscopic mash-up of prints and patterns, and importantly, stripes, which are a key motif in her oeuvre. “Donghia’s velvets immediately struck a chord with me. They have such a beautiful body and density to them, and can hold structure well,” says Zapata. “They felt like a nod to the textiles I usually make. Then the animal-print fabric Hear Me Roar provides an amazing contrast and clash.”
Ultimately, Zapata views textile art as the perfect medium to reach a wide audience and share her powerful messages. “Everyone has a relationship to textiles,” says the artist, who had an exhibition at Various Small Fires in Orange County, California, in September and shows with Sargent’s Daughters in New York. “It’s important to see something you’re so familiar with in a completely different way.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Late Fall Issue under the headline “Woven Together.” Subscribe to the magazine.