National Trust explores craft, culture and connection through the textile collections of Karun Thakar
- Published:
- 22 May 2026
The National Trust is partnering with renowned collector and curator Karun Thakar for a series of textile‑focused exhibitions at Blickling Estate, Dyrham Park and Osterley Park and House.
‘Journeys: Global Textiles from the Karun Thakar Collection’, running from 22 May to 1 November, draws on highlights from Thakar’s textile collections to explore themes of migration, trade, craftsmanship, colonialism, global history and beauty, and invites visitors to experience these three properties from a fresh perspective.
The exhibitions also reflect Thakar’s own story. Born in Kenya, raised in India and now based in London, his lifelong relationship with textiles began in his mother’s couture tailoring shop in Delhi, where he learned to sew, crochet and embroider as a child.
Through the universal theme of ‘journeys’, which express individual experiences as well as the global movement of people and material culture, the exhibitions examine both tangible heritage and living traditions. Many of the textiles carry deeply personal histories, including pieces connected to Thakar’s own family.
Vibrant textile displays and film will reveal stories often left untold and show how these historic houses were shaped by global connections and colonial legacies.
Blickling Estate
Once associated with figures connected to commercial enterprise and colonial administration, Blickling becomes a stage for exploring how textiles travelled across continents, carrying stories of identity, trade, and transformation.
A curated selection of star objects from Karun Thakar’s collection, including bold coloured Japanese kimonos, French toiles, Italian embroideries, Turkoman coats and Kente cloths from Ghana will highlight Blickling’s role as a global country house, showcasing the interwoven histories of textiles and design.
Visitors will also encounter domestic Punjabi baghs and kanthas (quilts) made by South Asian women brought into spaces traditionally reserved for male portraits, echoing Thakar’s commitment to celebrating overlooked makers and everyday creativity.
The link between Britain and India is significant at Blickling: Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter, Indira Gandhi visited in 1938 as the guests of Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian, who supported India’s progress toward becoming a self-governing Dominion.
Rare books from Blickling’s worldclass library, including volumes of Blaeu’s Grand Atlas, and a complete set of prints by Japanese artist Hiroshige – Views of Mount Fuji - will be shown alongside the textiles.
“Altogether, it’s a journey through centuries of global textile history, all within the rooms of Blickling. It’s so exciting to bring these stories together in one place,” Thakar said.
Dyrham Park
At Dyrham, vibrant Asafo flags – one of the most important West African art forms –fuse European naval insignia with local traditions and symbolism, reflecting resistance and adaptation during colonial encounters. Displayed throughout Dyrham’s interiors, and placed alongside portraits and objects, they will deepen narratives of the 17th-century house built with the proceeds of colonial enterprise.
Asafo flags reflect an important chapter in the history of the Fante people of Ghana, where they have been used for dance, ceremony and community identity since at least the 17th century and are part of an artistic tradition that continues to this day.
This will be the largest exhibition of Asafo flags ever shown in the UK, with more than 30 displayed throughout the house. Visitors will see early examples incorporating the British Union flag, dynamic scenes illustrating proverbs and local histories, and post independence works by master artist Kobina Badowah, bursting with hot pink, turquoise and yellow.
The displays offer a celebration of a unique and vibrant African art form but also allow for a deeper exploration of the historic relationship between Britain and Africa. “The Ghanaian artists produced extraordinary works of modern art. For some visitors this will be their first encounter with such rich creativity from West Africa,” added Thakar.
Osterley Park and House
At Osterley, over 70 baghs and phulkaris - intricately embroidered wedding shawls from Punjab - (bagh meaning ‘garden’ and phulkari meaning ‘flower work’) will fill Robert Adam’s neoclassical rooms with colour and craft.
These textiles, traditionally made by young girls and women in the undivided Punjab for ceremonial use, will bring new energy and cultural presence to a property with strong links to global craftsmanship, trade and Empire through the East India Company.
Among the highlights is a poignant fragment of a cotton bagh embroidered with red silk flowers, used by Thakar’s Aunt Banarso to wrap and conceal her jewellery as she fled Lahore for Vrindavan during Partition in 1947. This rare survival speaks to the perilous journeys undertaken by millions.
The idea for the exhibition was sparked when Thakar encountered a Sikh wedding party on Osterley’s steps during a summer visit. Many had never been inside the house. “I wanted to show them something of their own heritage within these walls,” he said.
The exhibition will take visitors through key moments during a wedding ceremony with the baghs draped on mannequins, to bring the cloth to life.
Emma Slocombe, Senior National Curator for Dress & Textiles at the National Trust said:
“Textiles shape our personal identities and homes: from the clothes we wear to the furnishings we choose, they provide domestic comfort and protection and are a mechanism for cultural or fashionable self-expression.
“Karun Thakar’s extraordinary collections of textiles, seen alongside Trust collections, will offer visitors the chance to see these historic houses in a new and inspiring way, as living spaces where global stories intersect with local heritage.”
Karun Thakar commented:
“My fascination with textiles stems from the fact that no other material is so close to our bodies, touching our skin and absorbing our imprints. Textiles are full of history and act as a mirror to global events. Researching the field made me look at collections with new eyes, questioning the conventional history in the light of post-colonial contexts and narratives.
“I hope ‘Journeys’ will inspire others and bring fresh perspectives to these remarkable collections.”
The exhibitions run from 22 May-1 November.