Although often associated with crafts such as garment construction and upholstery, fabric has been used for fine art applications for centuries. Traditional fabrics are composed of natural fibers from plant or animal sources—including wool, cotton, and silk. The fibers are manipulated into strands before being woven or knit into a usable textile. Today, synthetic fibers are used in addition to naturally occurring substances. From the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century, wealthy European patrons commissioned intricately woven tapestries made of richly colored threads. The most lavish examples were accented with threads wrapped in gold. Often created in sets that together told a narrative, tapestries hung as decorative ornaments on the walls of residences and religious centers. Similar practices occurred in other cultures as well: in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, beautifully detailed rugs called kilims were made for decorative as well as practical purposes from ancient times.

Contemporary artists who create richly ornamented textile wall hangings follow in a similar tradition of the tapestry workshops of centuries past. The Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers, a group of African American women working in a small Alabama town, create intricate and abstract quilt designs that have been widely celebrated by the art world. Still other artists use fabric as one of many materials that compose their work. British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare often uses Dutch print cottons, which were widely sold in West Africa, in his work as a way to call attention to issues surrounding colonization. Other contemporary artists using fabric in interesting and innovative ways include Elaine Reichek, Anna Betbeze, Cheryl Donegan, Sanford Biggers, and Greg Smith.