Mourning III: Second Veil

Cotton thread, hand-dyed with indigo, stitched on watercolour paper, 10x28 cm.

In the tatreez tradition, women signalled mourning by wearing dresses embroidered in nothing but indigo (which inspired my pieces Veils of Mourning I and II). Only when ready to emerge from grief, did they start integrating red details again: This idea drove the series of studies for a follow-up series. Through the six studies, red thread makes its way back into the pattern in different ways because despite everything, Life returns.

The Second Veil is stitched in cotton, which creates regular lines where subtle colour variations can be detected. Part of the mourning pattern is highlighted in madder-red silk to reveal the word أحد aḥad: the One, an attribute of the Divine.

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