On Sunday the 16th of June a collaboration of Oxford Artists unveiled a tapestry for Palestine, presented as a part of the encampments’ vigil for victims of Israel’s Genocide on Palestine, at the Oxford Radcliffe Camera Liberated Zone, Peace Camp II.
Over 38,514 people, including over 15,138 children, have been killed, 92,566 elderly, adults and children have been injured – in many cases maimed, and almost 15,000 remain missing, and 1,900,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced multiple times over, since October 7th, 2023 (Figures correct as at 7th July 2024).
The tapestry was a collective expression of local solidarity with all the innocent victims across Palestine, as well as with the students campaigning to persuade Oxford University to divest from supporting the Israeli military effort that has been implicated in the death and injury of so many.
The tapestry was the suggestion of (then Councillor) Shaista Aziz who approached the Westbury Peoples’ Gallery in April with the idea of a collective artwork through tapestry for the innocent victims in Palestine.
Shaista’s reasoning:
“The indigenous people of Palestine have used the traditional art of tapestry, sewing and textiles, for hundreds of years to express ‘sumud’, steadfastness, and their deep connection and love of their land, history and culture, and to reaffirm their right to a free homeland and their internationally confirmed right to return to the homes from which they were expelled in 1948. It is therefore an appropriate medium for artists in a city which has a rich history of standing in solidarity with global justice and decolonial movements focused on the liberation of indigenous people and their land.”
Shaista suggested that we use as a starting point the World Press Photo of the Year 2023, by Mohammed Salem, that pictured Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar as she embraces the lifeless body of her 5 year old niece Saly, who was killed as the result of an Israeli Airstrike in Gaza.. A photograph that speaks a million heartbreaking words.We agreed to name the artwork A Portrait for Justice – Homage to Palestine and started contacting some of the many local artists who joined us in creating this work.
Local artist, Coco Khan prepared a drawing based on this image (below) and this was scaled and shared, so that people could work in different locations across Oxford city. We created nine A1 size boards that could be used as templates but left each artist or group of artists to use whatever cloth, material, colour and technique they felt appropriate.
Many artists participated and we can mention but a few. Helen Edwards and Erin Thomas helped facilitate and organised others to join in, including at the Peace Camp. Helen helped pull the sections together, which Coco sewed together overnight to complete the work for our self-imposed deadline of 16th June, when it was displayed at the Radcliffe Camera after being mounted in a repurposed frame.
The end result is a vibrant collective expression that we believe compliments and captures the emotive power of the original image.
A Portrait for Justice – Homage to Palestine Tapestry,
Displayed Oxford Radcliffe Camera (part of Bodleian Library), 16th June – 7th July 2024,
Courtesy of the Westbury Peoples Gallery, Shiasta Aziz & Peace Camp II.
Note the peace camp tents in the foreground
The artists gave us reflections on their involvement and some of these are included below:
Coco Khan:
“My artwork has always been about globalisation and unity. We are all unique and beautiful in our diversity and yet we are all one, one people caring for each other, caretaking our planet, guardians over each other’s welfare. My work has always focused around raising awareness, through social sculpture, and immersive spaces, to address our histories and our present and to challenge injustice. I demand a freedom and peace. Tomorrow complete liberation will be ours.”
“When I sat down to draw the image that would be used for the collaborative Homage to Palestine tapestry, it was on a day where it was storming and humid outside. I could sense the unsettled sky; I could hear the birds fluttering around above. I could detect the change in the atmosphere. I felt the weight of responsibility, to produce an image that amplified what is happening in our world, an image that could be added to by everyone and anyone openly.
I wanted to do justice to the photo that Mohammed Jadallah Salem took, he is from Gaza, those could have easily been his family, friends and neighbours. What must have been going through his mind as he walked through the corridors of Nasser Hospitals Morgue, in Khan Younis? He likely would have seen distraught residents searching for their missing family and friends. As a photojournalist, he would have been photographing and documenting the tragedy unfolding around him. When he came across the lifeless body of Saly, in the arms her young aunt Inas.
I cried all the way through as I drew the image, because that little 5 year old girl, could be my niece, or my sister, or daughter, or neighbour or friend… or even me.
My hand trembled to begin with, I was drawing the burial shroud of a little girl. My mind couldn’t comprehend the sadness in my heart. With each line I grew stronger. Every time I see images on the news, in social media, I feel so connected to them, I see my face in theirs, because we are all one race. One human race. Saly’s lifeless body is a symbol of what is happening to humanity. A humanity, a freedom that like her Aunt Inas, we are all clinging onto, a resistance in the face of bludgeoning atrocities.
My drawing was enlarged and shared, a collaboration of local artists have come together from the local community and from the encampment. Each of us from unique backgrounds and areas of expertise. Yet we came together as one body to produce this. Unified in our demand for justice and peace. We have shown care, kindness, respect and compassion for each other as artists, and we mirror the sentiment of our students and the people of this city and indeed we echo the ripples and tidal waves of change, of all of us across the globe. We were inspired by Tatreez, in Palestine Tatreez Embroidery became a tool of not only documenting but also taking a stand. It is a tool of resistance.
The care and kindness with which each line is drawn, painted, and each panel sewn, each stitch made, each weave of embroidery, beading and glasswork, that same care and kindness is what we have for each other, it’s what we are taking a stand for humanity.”
Erin Rosalie Thomas:
“I have always been fascinated with fibres, whether it was admiring my Nana’s knitting or the feel of textures in my clothes or watching my aunty quilt as a child. Each piece of textile has a story – it’s travelled in many forms until it’s reached its intended use.
I come from a background of painting, printmaking and illustration. When circumstances changed, and I had to begin working out of the spare room of my new home, I needed to find a medium that meant I wouldn’t trash the house and my bank account. This is where I found the joy of needle felting. With the wefts of raw and dyed merino wool, I can paint with the needle. I can blend colours to my delight making shades, tones, light and shadow.
My mum runs an aesthetics clinic, and in her Botox packaging she receives a package of raw sheep’s wool for temperature control. I’ve used this as the basis of my work ever since. Using the byproduct allows a primitive visual to the work. It’s been a privilege to share my voice on the project, depicting a section of Coco’s stunning drawing. Being born in Oxford, seeing the barrier being broken down between the university students and the community has been beautiful. May this continue forever, in solidarity.”
Helen Edwards and Kate Westrop:
“The panel I helped create with Kate was started with fabric paint to create the atmosphere for the background on silk, this brought some of the depth of feeling related to this powerful image into the heart of the work as this was the central piece of the whole image. Then the lines were stitched using coloured threads to bring in more detail, adding some unique decoration to acknowledge the beauty and sacredness of each individual life.”
Helen Edwards:
“Heartfelt gentleness of pink and gold
Spiral shapes symbolising the cycle of life.
Birth growth death,
Soul consciousness,
Helping to find an inner voice
And manifesting healing and transformation.”
Kate Westrop:
“Fragments of glass
Red
Broken, lost remnants
A thousand hand sewn crosses
Marking deaths
And casualties of war”
Judy Hammond:
“I was very glad to be asked to take part in this group work. I have Jewish roots but have been utterly horrified by the recent events in Gaza – the slaughter of so many totally innocent Palestinians – by the Israeli army under orders from the Israeli government. The only sane and humane future we all have is to extend the hand of friendship and tolerance to people of all races and religions. Both the Israelis and the Palestinians have so much to gain from friendship with each other.
This is what I was trying to say on the piece. The banner itself says it all – A very special textile work.”
We see this first tapestry as a start in our artistic reflection and solidarity with the people of Palestine and hope that the statements by artists here may encourage others to join us in finding their voices in expressing support and empathy for innocent victims of genocide, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing.
Photos Courtesy of Kate Westrop, Confluence Oxford (Shadows are intentional). Photo below: Peter Burke
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