Anni Albers was born in Germany in 1899 and studied at the Bauhaus, where she learned to work with textiles. At a time when weaving was often seen as craft and not fine art, Albers pushed boundaries by mixing new materials, patterns, and techniques. In 1933, she and her husband, artist Josef Albers, moved to the United States after the Bauhaus closed under pressure from the Nazis. She began teaching and creating, bringing fresh ideas about textiles and design.
In 1949, her work received major recognition when the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City gave her a solo exhibition. This was the first time the museum gave such an honor to a weaver. The show displayed her wall hangings, fabrics, and designs, showing that weaving could stand as modern art alongside painting and sculpture. The exhibition made Albers a leading figure in the art world and influenced many designers and artists who followed.
Her weaving combined order and freedom. She used strong geometry but also made playful patterns. She saw textiles not just as decoration but as functional art that could shape spaces and lives. Her MoMA show changed how people thought about weaving and gave textiles a lasting place in modern art history.