Cyrus Naji writes for The Art Newspaper on textiles and embroidery, exploring how Palestinian textiles act as “portable archives” of identity, carrying stories of heritage, family, and place.
In Narrative Threads, artists revisit this medium, including Sama Alshaibi, who uses her mother’s costumes to question how the female figure came to symbolize the “motherland,” while challenging Orientalist portrayals of Palestinian women.
Textiles weave tales of Palestine’s rich but troubled history
Embroidery has long been a key form of artistic expression
Cyrus Naji, The Art Newspaper, March 24, 2026
