The Sibyls Tapestry

From Friday 9 October, visitors to the Sir Duncan Rice Library ground floor will be able to see a remarkable new tapestry designed by Zimbabwean Scottish artist Sekai Machache for the University of Aberdeen.

The tapestry revisits the legacy of the Sibyls (ancient female oracles), through a contemporary lens, with Machache drawing inspiration from a series of 17th-century paintings, likely by Scottish artist George Jamesone, held in the University’s art collection. Her design reclaims the Sibyls as symbols of female authority, while also acknowledging their complex origins and connections.

The tapestry was woven at Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, with the weavers translating the artist’s triptych design into over 100 vivid hues of blue yarn to capture the vibrancy and depth of Machache’s original ink washes.

This commission is made possible by Jerwood Art Fund Commissions, a partnership between Jerwood Foundation and Art Fund offering a rare opportunity for artists and museums to work together on fully funded, ambitious commissions.

Part of Art History Festival 2026 organised by the Association for Art History.