Jeddah: Art Jameel, an organization dedicated to supporting artists and creative communities, is proud to announce the opening of Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah. The exhibition will run from January 23 to April 17, 2025, and is presented in partnership with the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit. Drawing from the museum’s extraordinary collection as well as personal archives, the exhibition explores the profound cultural and historical significance of Palestinian tatreez, an intricate hand embroidery.
Celebrating Palestinian Heritage and Resistance
The exhibition brings together over 30 historic and modern dresses, more than 100 archival photographs, and objects from the 19th and early 20th centuries through today. Thread Memory offers an in-depth look at this ancient craft, which has been predominantly practiced by women, and highlights its role as a lens into the turbulent history of Palestine. Embroidered fabrics serve as powerful symbols of identity and resistance, weaving together the stories of a people’s survival, resilience, and cultural endurance.
A Journey Through Palestinian Regional Styles
Curated by Rachel Dedman, the V&A’s Jameel Curator of Contemporary Art from the Middle East, the exhibition centers clothing as a home for the body and an intimate site for the expression of identity. It traces the evolution of Palestinian embroidery from the Nakba in 1948 to the present, focusing on regional variations such as Jerusalem, Ramallah, Beit Dajan, and Bedouin communities. The exhibition also includes elements from the Palestinian diaspora, showcasing how the craft has evolved over generations as a powerful reflection of Palestinian cultural heritage.
An Insight Into Matrilineal Craftsmanship
Tatreez originated in rural communities, embedded in daily life and women’s rites of passage, with each region developing its distinctive patterns, reflecting local stories, flora, fauna, and cultural beliefs. Thread Memory illustrates how this matrilineal craft has been passed down through generations from mother to daughter, creating a visual language that reflects a deep connection to cultural and familial identity.
Hayy Jameel
Collaboration with the Palestinian Museum
Antonia Carver, Art Jameel Director, said: “Thread Memory’ builds on more than 10 years of research and earlier exhibitions in Palestine, Lebanon and the UK curated by Rachel Dedman on tatreez and textiles. We are honoured to be hosting this exhibition which introduces the Saudi public to one of the region’s most critical and storied collections at the Palestinian Museum, plus dresses on loan from local, personal collections in Saudi Arabia.”
Carver added, “Art Jameel has a longstanding focus on cultural continuity and exchange, and on foregrounding discursive exhibitions and programmes that recover and document histories and traditions. During these times of turmoil, violence and grief, it feels vital to tell everyday stories of survival, even joy, and to highlight resilience through creativity and artisanship.”
A Rich Archive of Palestinian Life
The exhibition draws on the Palestinian Museum’s extensive archive of over 500,000 photographs and documents, digitized from 414 personal collections and family albums. Visitors will have the opportunity to see dresses from Palestinian communities in the diaspora, as well as headdresses with elaborate ornamentation, silver and gold jewelry, thobes from Ramallah, Jaffa, and Gaza, and postcards and photographs that document historical sites such as the Dome of the Rock, landscapes, and depopulated villages.
The exhibition also underscores the recognition of Palestinian embroidery as an essential part of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2021, further cementing its significance as a symbol of identity and community resilience.
Rachel Dedman’s Expertise and Curatorial Vision
Rachel Dedman brings over 10 years of expertise in Palestinian embroidery to Thread Memory. Her portfolio includes pioneering exhibitions like Labour of Love at the Palestinian Museum (2018) and Material Power at Kettle’s Yard and The Whitworth in the UK (2023/24). Dedman’s unique approach bridges the intersection of history, fashion, and culture, as she brings the narrative of Palestinian embroidery to life through this exhibition.
