Stitching the Intifada: Embroidery and Resistance in Palestine

Stitching the Intifada: Embroidery and Resistance in Palestine

Tatreez — elaborate hand-embroidery — is an ancient Palestinian craft characterised by remarkable beauty and complexity. Beginning with an introduction to the regional diversity of historic Palestinian dress, Rachel Dedman traces the politicisation of embroidery after the Nakba of 1948. From its evolution into a symbol of the nation, to its powerful presence during the First Intifada, and reimagination by contemporary artists, tatreez in Palestine embodies many forms of personal and public resistance. 

About the Author

Rachel Dedman (b. 1989, London) is a curator, writer, and art historian. Her work examines the material and political lives of things, and challenges established narratives around cultural production in the Global South. Since 2019, Rachel has been the Jameel Curator of Contemporary Art from the Middle East at the V&A, London, where she curates the triennial Jameel Prize exhibition and the Jameel Fellowship artist residency programme. Beyond the V&A, Rachel curated Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery for Kettle's Yard and The Whitworth, UK, in 2023/24, and was co-curator of the State of Fashion Biennale 2024: Ties that Bind in Arnhem, the Netherlands.

Published by Common Threads Press
ISBN: 9781068625015
80 pages
210 x 125mm

Founded in 2019 by Laura Moseley, Common Threads Press is a small, independent publisher of books and zines that uplift histories of creative work. Common Threads Press is inspired by and indebted to the rich history of independent, grassroots publishing that centres voices from the margins — spotlighting the political and cultural relevance of crafts that has long been overlooked or dismissed in mainstream publishing.