Mending Palestine

Mending Palestine is an ode to the culture and existence of Palestine. This work was done in collaboration with my family; their time, work, patience, and passion are stitched into this piece as much as mine. The heart of the piece is that vibrant Palestinian culture will bloom through the destruction, that culture will be healing, and everyone has a duty to Palestine as a witness.

Symbols include an image of a destroyed mosque taken in Khan Younis, Palestine, on October 8, 2023, the keys of return from the 1948 Nakba, a mirror where you will find yourself reflected in, the Arabic text "al-shahada" (i.e., “to bear witness”) paired with the English text “WITNESS", an olive branch and pomegranate, motifs from the keffiyeh, and tatreez (the Palestinian cross-stitch tradition). The needle left in the canvas indicates that the story does not end here– culture will prevail and be crucial for “mending” the immense trauma of the land, bodies, and minds in Palestine.