Abu Dhabi, UAE-: UAE-based social enterprise 81 Designs and Moroccan artist Bouchra Boudoua unveil a fusion craft combining traditional Moroccan pottery and Palestinian Tatreez (cross stitch) at Abu Dhabi Art. The embroidered ceramics are showcased at CP 8 – Auditorium in Manarat Al Saadiyat at the fair, which opens to the public today until 20 November 2022.
‘Autumn Harvest’ is a collection of intricate, earthy coloured ceramic pieces jointly made to preserve time-honoured artistic traditions. It reflects the desire to unite makers and artisans to create art together. The process entailed clay moulding and design by the artist and local potters in Morocco, before transporting them to Ain El-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon, where the Palestinian refugee women, employed by 81 Designs, skilfully embroidered the ceramics using raffia fibre. Seven months in the making, the collaboration is an ode to the union of cultures across borders through the revolutionary use of traditional skills and sustainable materials.
Today from 3:00 to 3:45 pm at the Round Theatre, Nadine Maalouf, co-founder of 81 Designs, and Bouchra Boudoua will join a panel to discuss “Social Enterprise through Artisans.” They will be joined by Mourad Ben Ayed, Strategist for purpose-led organisations, Conceived Weaving Alliances; and Achenyo Idachaba-Obaro, Social Entrepreneur. The panel discussion is part of the Abu Dhabi Art’s Talks programme featuring a series of engaging cultural talks given by curators and artists, as well as the heads of the UAE’s art institutions and other eminent art professionals.
81 Designs’ mission is to preserve and modernize Tatreez, an ancient embroidery technique, while empowering refugee women with employment opportunities. The social enterprise curates each project every year in collaboration with an artist from the Middle East and North Africa region. It provides artists with a platform to present their work in a different medium.
