weaving poems honors Afghanistan's girls carpet artisans at design Doha

weaving poems: the 'beating coronary heart' of the Doha Design Biennale

Because the Doha Design Biennale spotlighting the range of life, tradition and design within the Center East and North Africa, Weaving Poems travels to the Bamiyan area of Afghanistan to disclose centuries-old traditions of heritage and craftsmanship. Made by Afghan-British designer Maryam Omar in collaboration with the non-profit charity Turquoise Mountain, exhibition pays homage to the ladies artisans who’ve preserved the customized of hand carpet weaving within the central mountains whereas buzzing tales of nature's cycles and group bonds.

From hanging tapestries to screens that narrate passages from shared poems and transferring pictures to recordings that amplify the voices of those girls, Weaving Poems transforms M7's future theater house right into a multi-sensory, contemplative workshop of the creativeness. Slated the “the beating coronary heart of the biennale” by Design Doha's Inventive Director Glenn Adamson, the exhibition immerses guests within the enchanting darkness of the house lit solely by smooth rays of sunshine and poetic meditations that invite reflection and appreciation of the area's heritage.

picture © Julián Velásquez, courtesy of Qatar Museums

revealing the craft heritage of the Bamiyan Mountains

Weaving Poems attracts inspiration from the lyrics and rhythms that weave the material of the Afghan weaving custom, evoking the inventive, collaborative environment of the mountain workshop. Earlier than taking over their looms, these weavers would put together and distribute handmade delicacies to neighbors and friends, then provide prayers invoking blessings for the venture and eventually recite a collection of poems.

Working intently with these girls, Maryam Omar launched into a journey of exploration of shade, type and texture, translating her phrases into vivid visible compositions that encapsulate the pure panorama of the area. Experimenting with watercolor, gouache, ink and steel markers, sweeps of shade replicate the valleys and undulating contours of the mountains on paper, ceramic tiles and extra for preliminary sketches, displayed on the entry wall. Via a technique of digital manipulation, the sketches had been then transferred and refined in carpet graphics software program, earlier than being printed on large-scale paper from which the weavers learn and hand-knotted the carpets by eye.

view exhibition at Design Doha Biennial | picture © Edward Sumner

made by maryam omar and turquoise mountain

The rugs resonate with the essence of Afghanistan's pure and cultural panorama, every changing into a canvas to inform a narrative. Whereas some motifs characterize the weaving course of itself, others replicate azure skies, rugged mountains, earth and inexperienced flora. “A number of the work is impressed by references to the landscapes of Bamiyan, for which we used smooth, overlapping varieties to replicate the valleys and pure options. References to fish within the pond and the shadows of weavers engaged on looms are extra recognizable, together with the phrases of the poem in a conventional script. shares Maryam Omar.

Weaving Poems is organized by Turquoise Mountain, discovered by His Majesty King Charles III in 2006 to revive conventional craft and help communities in areas the place craft heritage is in danger, offering jobs, expertise and a renewed sense of satisfaction. The exhibition carpets had been handwoven in Bamiyan by Nakbakht, Shahra Bano, Sadiqa, Ruqia, Soqra, Razia, Ozra, Fatema, Zahra, Maryam, Masuma, Sharifa, Zahra, Sakina, Nakbakht, Malalay, Rahima, Noor Begum, Sajeda and Zaynab. , Aziza, Marzia, Zahra and Razia. “I linked with them to see what they do, how they begin weaving rugs, and picked up their poems. Their phrases. It's about their voices, their fingers and the best way they work. Their environment, what sort of colours they see, Omar says designboom.

made by Maryam Omar with Turquoise Mountain | picture © Julián Velásquez, courtesy of Qatar Museums