Mourning III: Fifth Veil

Indigo-dyed combed silk and madder-dyed silk thread, stitched on indigo-dyed paper, 10x28 cm.

In the tatreez tradition, women signalled mourning by wearing dresses embroidered in nothing but indigo. Only when ready to emerge from grief, did they start integrating red details again. This idea drove the series of small pieces of which this is the first. Through the six pieces, red thread makes its way back into the pattern in different ways because despite everything, Life returns.

(These small pieces can be combined into diptychs or triptychs; contact me for a revised price if you'd like to do that.)

In the Fifth Veil, the neat lac-red thread of Life (حياة) contrasts with the more raw-looking combed silk of the mourning pattern.

More info & photos: https://majnouna.com/portfolio/veilsofmourning/