Washington Report On Middle East Affairs – October 2018

63

MUSIC & ARTS

Author, Artist Wafa Ghnaim

Shares Centuries-Old Art of

Tatreez

“When I embroider, I feel that I am close to

my homeland.”—Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim,

Palestinian embroiderer.

On July 28, Middle East Books and More

in Washington, DC hosted Wafa Ghnaim,

celebrated Brooklyn-based Palestinian au-

thor and artist, for the long-awaited debut of

her book, Tatreez & Tea: Embroidery and

Storytelling in the Palestinian Diaspora.

The afternoon began with an embroidery

workshop in which Ghnaim walked the

more than dozen attendees through the ba-

sics of the centuries-old art of tatreez. A

session of learning proper technique

blended together with an exploration into

the significance of the folk embroidery style

as a form not only of artistry, but narration

and inter-generational bonding.

Students used waste canvas to cross-

stitch variants of the “Tree of Life” design, tra-

ditionally represented by the cypress tree.

Oft-employed as a motif throughout Levan-

tine culture, the “tree of life” (Arabic: shajarat

al-hayat) features prominently in traditional

Palestinian embroidery. As Ghnaim’s mother

once told her, “they give until they die, and

this is how we should be ourselves...”

Later in the afternoon, Ghnaim spoke to

a packed house about the inspiration and

purpose behind her book, and tatreez’srole

in shaping her sense of self. She spoke of

her mother, Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim, an

award-winning artist in her own right and

life-long teacher of Palestinian embroidery.

Ghnaim recalled accompanying her mother

as she toured the country teaching and lec-

turing on the craft, and learning tatreez

along with her sisters at their mother’s

hands, starting at the age of just two.

As she described her own journey,

Ghnaim made clear that tatreezis far more

than mere folk handiwork or sartorial aes-

thetic. In a period of Palestinian history so

dominated and defined by dislocation and

dispossession, tatreezrepresents a power-

ful means of connection—to homeland, to

ancestors, and to a sacred past.

Although physically separated from their

homeland, Ghnaim and her mother found

in tatreeza meditative, powerfully rooted

source of identity. As Ghnaim expressed it:

“It’s hard to connect as a Palestinian to

who I am supposed to be...I’m tired of

going to protests all the time. I’m tired of

posting online about some horrible atro-

cious crime that’s happening in Palestine

or otherwise against the Palestinians...I

want to express who I am, and who I am

isn’t about destruction, and it’s not about vi-

olence, it’s not about occupation...who I

am is a creator. Of life. Of something beau-

tiful. And that’s what I feel tatreezgives to

me, and I know that’s what tatreezgives to

my mother.”

Following her presentation, and after

reading selections from Tatreez & Tea,

guests had the opportunity to meet and

speak with Ghnaim and purchase signed

copies of her work.

Wafa Ghnaim will return to AET’s Middle

East Books and More for a second embroi-

dery workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 26

from 12:00-2:00 p.m., this time focusing on

bird motifs found in traditional Palestinian

embroidery.

Tickets can be purchased online via

Eventbrite by searching for “Palestinian

Embroidery 101: Birds of Palestine.” A lim-

ited supply of signed copies of Tatreez &

Teawill also be available for purchase.

—Amin Gharad

Wafa Ghnaim leads a workshop on tatreez, a Palestinian folk embroidery style.

PHOTO COURTESY ANA-MATION PHOTOGRAPHY

A workshop participant practices the “Tree of Life” design.

PHOTO COURTESY ANA-MATION PHOTOGRAPHY

OCTOBER 2018 WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS

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