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'A way to memorialise village life': How these Arab women are preserving history for future generations

Traditionally viewed as a domestic 'craft', 14 textile artists are showcasing their work at Sharjah's iconic Zaha Hadid building

In October 2022, curator and artist Nour Hage made a significant move from London to Dubai, bringing with her a passion for art and cultural preservation. She describes the move as a “mutual decision” with her husband, both drawn by the vibrant art scene in the UAE. “What is happening in terms of arts and culture in the country is very exciting,” shared the British-Lebanese artist.

“As an Arab artist, I felt that I should be part of it, both as a desire and a duty.” With this calling, Hage has made it her mission to celebrate and elevate Arab women’s contributions to art—specifically in the realm of textile work, a medium that has historically been relegated to the domestic sphere and categorised as “craft” rather than fine art.

Hage’s latest curatorial project, ‘Women’s Work: From Craft to Fine Art’, seeks to honour the evolution of textile art and its role in cultural storytelling across generations. As Hage explained, “Women have used textile work as a form of expression but also as a way to transmit knowledge and cultural identity from one generation to another.”

Traditionally seen as “an acceptable activity for women,” textile manipulation through weaving, embroidery, and other fabric techniques was often limited to the home or small community circles. These constraints served to both confine and define the medium, reinforcing the perception of textile art as a domestic task rather than an art form in its own right.

This exhibition, however, sets out to reposition these deeply rooted practices within the larger narrative of contemporary fine art, highlighting the work of Arab women artists who have elevated the medium.

In pieces such as ‘Village’ by Fatima Shnesheh, we see embroidery as more than just decoration; it becomes a tool for historical documentation. Shnesheh stitches the everyday lives of villagers, preserving their stories in ways that written words or traditional art forms may not fully capture.

“It’s a way to memorialise village life for future generations,” Hage adds, pointing to the layered storytelling these textiles embody.

The exhibition is being hosted at BEEAH's headquarters in Sharjah, in collaboration with the Barjeel Art Foundation, set within a striking Zaha Hadid-designed building that itself stands as a symbol of Arab female creativity and innovation. Showcasing the work of 14 Arab artists, the all-women's exhibition spans diverse talents from Morocco to Tunisia.

Spotlighting some of the other featured pieces, Hage highlights ‘The Weaver’ by Bouchra Khalili, which draws a parallel between weaving and filmmaking. Khalili sees both as methods of storytelling, bridging generations and carrying forward cultural wisdom. “In the Arab world, this transmission of knowledge through textile art has often been overlooked. For many women, it has provided not only a creative outlet but also a means of passing on cultural identity,” she adds.

Yet this shift from domestic craft to gallery-worthy art has not been without challenges. Hage explains that “the biggest challenge was to collect information on some of the artists,” particularly those who worked decades ago when textile art was largely undervalued. “Because women artists were undervalued for a long time in the Arab world, particularly the ones working with textile, it has been difficult to find information for some of the older pieces.” Exhibitions like ‘Women’s Work’ serve a dual purpose: to celebrate the artistry and document the history of a medium that has been marginalised for far too long.

Hage’s dream for the exhibition extends beyond the gallery walls. She hopes it will inspire a new generation of women to embrace and carry forward these traditional techniques. “My dream is that a young woman comes to this exhibition, sees this body of work by these incredible women and understands where her place is in that lineage,” she said.

For Hage, the ultimate goal is that young artists see they “can be the next great artist to work with these techniques that are part of heritage” and that they recognise the power they hold to tell their own stories through this evolving medium.

Through ‘Women’s Work’, Hage has opened a door to the world of textile art, inviting viewers to reimagine it as more than craft— a medium that honours the place of Arab women in the contemporary art world. In Hage’s words, “We are documenting an incredible body of work,” and with each stitch, each thread, these artists are weaving a new legacy for future generations.

The exhibition runs until January 16, 2025, and is open to the public.

somya@khaleejtimes.com

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