The special exhibition, presented as part of Qatar Creates and Qatar-MENASA Year of Culture 2022, is on view through 28 January 2023
His Excellency Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, Minister of Culture, inaugurated today The Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History exhibition, a travelling exhibition organized by the Palestinian Museum in collaboration with Qatar Museums at Qatar Museums Gallery Katara in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, MrSalah El Din Zaki Khaled, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative for the Gulf States and Yemen and Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Doha, and Mr. Omar Al-Qattan, Chair of The Board Of Directors at The Palestinian Museum.
Labour of Love explores and celebrates embroidery’s historical importance prior to 1948 and the dynamic transformation Palestinian textiles have undergone in the decades. The exhibition is part of Qatar Creates, the year-round national cultural movement that curates, promotes, and celebrates the diversity of cultural activities in Qatar connecting resident and global audiences with Qatar’s creative industries, and the Qatar-MENASA Year of Culture 2022, an international cultural exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people.
Building on years of research and fieldwork, Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History reveals insights into the history and contemporary significance of Palestinian embroidery, unfolding a material history of Palestine, telling little-heard stories through the intimate catalyst of clothing. At the heart of the exhibition are over 70 historic dresses and accessories, drawn from every region of Palestine. Placed in conversation with archival photographs, posters, paintings, music and videos, the exhibition traces the shift of tatreez from personal practice, made with love, to a national symbol and onto a product circulating in the global marketplace. . Labour of Love is curated by Mr. Baha Jubeh, Collections Manager at the Palestinian Museum, and draws from collections of Qatar Museums and the Palestinian Museum. The exhibition was first presented at the Palestinian Museum in 2018.
Baha Jubeh said: “Palestinian Embroidery as a Historical Document: It is necessary to draw attention to neglected aspects of the narrative surrounding embroidery tatreez. This narrative carries meanings and symbols that go beyond politics, nostalgia, and the aesthetics of heritage, by clarifying its sentimental value and profound legacy.”
Commenting on the occasion, Issa Al Shirawi, Project Manager at Qatar Museums, said: “Qatar Museums is pleased to partner the Palestinian Museum to present Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History, an exhibition that highlights and celebrates the heritage and innovations from the region. It holds special significance for us as we celebrate the Qatar-MENASA Year of Culture 2022, a program that brings people closer together, encourages dialogue, and deepens understanding between nations.”
The Palestinian Museum Director General Adila Laïdi-Hanieh, Ph.D., stated: “The Palestinian Museum is proud of this partnership with Qatar Museums, and we are grateful for their invitation to exhibit in Doha at this important time for Qatar. We share with Qatar Museums Authority a focus on presenting our heritage and stories from our Arab culture to our peoples and the world with up to date professional methods and approaches.“
The exhibition is presented as one of four exhibitions which provides insights into the scope and viewpoint to be encountered in the new Lusail Museum, scheduled to break ground in 2023. Designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron, the Lusail Museum building will be constructed in Lusail.
Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History is sponsored by Seedeco, Ashraf Abuissa, Ameed Hamed Al Hussein, and Rami Elnatsha.
Published on the occasion of the exhibition and as part of the knowledge transfer the Palestinian Museum is keen to produce for its audience, Labour of Love: New Approaches to Palestinian Embroidery is a beautifully illustrated book featuring an in-depth essay by Rachel Dedman on the role of embroidery in Palestinian society and how it has been transformed to a national symbol of patriotism and resistance in the decades following the Nakba of 1948. The book also includes contributions by Kristine Khouri, Tina Sherwell, Kirsten Schied, Tania Tamari Nasir, Chiara de Cesari and Baha Jubeh, in addition to a photographic essay of archival images and highlights from the exhibition, showcasing stunning details of the embroidered garments on display. This is the second edition of the book, published by Qatar Museums in collaboration with the Palestinian Museum, with the generous support of Ashraf Abu Issa, Ameed Hamed Al Hussein and Rami Radi El-Natsha. The first edition of the book was published by the Palestinian Museum to accompany the first iteration of the exhibition in 2018. This bilingual book (English and Arabic) is available in Qatar Museums Gallery Katara gift shop and also for online purchase at https://inq-online.com/
A range of items inspired by the exhibition including embroidery kits, books, DIY colouring box, apparels, mugs, embroidered accessories and more are available to purchase at the IN-Q Pop-Up Store in Katara – House 11 and online at www.inq-online.com