My second publication, “THOBNA: Reclaiming Palestinian Dresses in the Diaspora,” was just released last week on June 30! I am very excited to share this publication with you, the unique approach I took to writing THOBNA, and some of my research leading up to my fellowship at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the fall.
THOBNA is an explicit celebration of Palestinian reclamation, resistance and freedom, providing a detailed analysis of contemporary Palestinian dress styles after 1948, diagrams and instructions on how to stitch and use waste canvas, and 47 pages of patterns focusing on Palestinian resistance movements from the 1980s onward. The Palestinian dresses included in THOBNA elevate the collections of the Textile Research Centre (Leiden), Tiraz Centre (The Widad Kawar Collection), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of the Palestinian People, and the collection I use for educational purposes in my classes and lectures. THOBNA intends to fan the flame of the Palestinian resistance in the diaspora through embroidery and the arts.
This past weekend, THOBNA launched at the Museum of the Palestinian People in Washington, DC (images above). The discussion was moderated by the museum's Director of Programs & Operations, Julia Pitner. It was an incredibly special opportunity to share the premise of THOBNA for the first time, address the themes of my writing, as well as highlight the embroidery of the Intifada and resistance through an art historical lens. Thank you to all those who attended the event.
Today, I am announcing a virtual book launch event that will be moderated by Noor Al-Sharif, a long-time organizer of stitching collectives in the Tatreez & Tea community.
Virtual Book Launch: THOBNA
When: Thursday, July 20 at 7pm EST
Where: Zoom
Registration: https://www.tatreezandtea.com/shop/series
The event will not be recorded, and is open to all. Please note that all Tatreez & Tea events require participants to share their cameras so that we cultivate a safe virtual space, not only for the organizers but for everyone who often share about their lives and family histories.
This time on Thursdays is usually dedicated to the weekly stitching collective meetings for Palestinians only, however, for the special occasion of THOBNA the event is open to all and everyone is welcome to stay after 8pm EST to stitch along with the group.
I hope to see you there. Thank you for your support and love during this book launch. I have truly felt it in every step of writing and launching THOBNA.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Wafa