Tajdid

Materials: Thread, vanishing muslin, dissolvable fabric, vintage textiles/carpet, beads, wire

Dimensions: 63cm x 63cm

In response to the theme ‘Reaction’ I have embraced sustainability as a core element of my work. The climate crisis has heightened an awareness of reusing and repurposing materials, a principle I have reacted to in both the selection of materials and the conceptual design of this piece.

I am inspired by the potential of objects that were once beautiful but have now aged and deteriorated or are no longer utilised and hiding in drawers. This fascination drives me to transform worn, mundane, discarded or sometimes precious pieces of history into my embroidery.

At the heart of ‘Tajdid’ is a small fragment of a Middle Eastern carpet, once

handwoven by an artisan which through the passage of time became unloved and discarded. Using both hand, machine embroidery and embellishment, I introduce my own colour palette and design, but still allow the original carpet to influence the outcome and creative process. This nurtures a reactive cohesion between my work and the carpet.

Experimenting with natural indigo dye, I achieved an aged effect on the hessian fringing and looped features, whilst embroidering on dissolvable fabric created a lace like effect as it reacted with water on contact. Antique beads from my treasure box of ‘finds’ has also been used to enhance the embroidery. ‘Tajdid’ when translated from Arabic means ‘rejuvenate’. In the creation of ‘Tajdid’ my reaction to sustainable issues has enabled me to act as a keeper and messenger of craftsmanship through time, rejuvenating the history of the carpet and its maker. I have relished the process of crafting this embroidery, preserving a little piece of the carpet’s legacy in a contemporary context.