SILA: All that is Left to You

In times of adversity, especially amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza, tatreez – the ancient practice of hand-embroidery, a foundational element of Palestinian intangible heritage – becomes an act of survival and defiance. This exhibition of works by 25 artists honours the centuries-old practice and reimagined it through a contemporary lens. Several of the featured works are the result of direct collaboration with master embroiderers from the Inaash Association, ensuring the preservation of the authenticity and the evolving spirit of tatreez.

The participating artists:

Amer Shomali
Abdel Rahman Katanani
Areen Hassan
Aya Haidar
Bokja
Cristiana de Marchi
Dahouk Chamsi-Pasha
Farah Behbehani
Hazem Harb
Katya Traboulsi
Joanna Barakat
Leila Jabre Jureidini
Liane Al Ghusain
Maysaloun Faraj
Nada Debs
Naima Almajdobah
naqsh collective
Nour Hage
Omarvis
Sama Alshaibi
Samar Hejazi
Samia Halaby
Tala Hammoud Atrouni
Steve Sabella
Zaid Farouki

The public opening (11am on 21 September) includes a guided tour of the exhibition led by the curators Cima Azzam (Maraya Art Centre) and Noor Suhail (1971 – Design Space). That’s followed at 1.30pm by a panel discussion – Tatreez: from Stitch to Symbol, moderated by Wafa Ghnaim, Founder of the Tatreez Institute, and featuring speakers Rula Alami (founder of the Sila Movement, a social fabric and clothing cooperative in Palestine: “we see clothing as a way to unite people, to build a community where every individual contributes to the collective, and as a way to educate people and bring awareness to social injustices happening around the globe”); Joanna Barakat (artist, founder of The Tatreez Circle and author of Narrative Threads: Palestinian Embroidery in Contemporary Art); and Farah Behbehani (artist and calligrapher).

To 5 January.