Project Deconstruction – Palestinian Headpiece:
For my first project in Space and Materiality class, I had to create a headpiece based on a culture of my choice. I was required to focus on art, architecture and textile. I’ve decided to research the Palestinian nation. In Israel, where I’m from, Palestinians are often referred to in political context. The word “Palestinians” is used mostly when related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but almost never do we discuss their culture and customs.
When I started to brainstorm online, I was faced with a very superficial representation of the Palestinian style. Traditional Muslim clothes and architecture are a main part of their culture, but I was certain that they have evolved and developed into a more complex civilisation. I was motivated to find out more about their aesthetic evolution and in order to do so, I contacted my Arabic-speaking friend, Amit.
With his help, I was now able to refine my online search — from English to Arabic. Instead of focusing only on academic and formal information, I could also browse online Palestinian blogs, shopping websites and portfolios. After Collecting countless facts and imagery, I looked for common threads and relationships between informal and formal, image and text. I knew that my research is yet to be complete, and I needed to find an alternative source of information. I was given an opportunity to see the Palestinians as a whole, study and present their story as complexed as it is.
I’ve connected an acquaintance of my parents, a Palestinian teacher from Hebron named Rada. She shared with me family albums and stories about her family and friends in Hebron. we also discussed Palestinian traditions, fashion trends and local personas. Some of which, matched the information I already had, some were brand new to me.
References:
Now, I was ready to design my Palestinian headpiece. I worked with golden and olive green silk, traditional colors and fabric, and around the neck I added golden necklaces — a more trendy element. The structure of the headpiece was made out of golden and green wire, some of which I left exposed, as a representation of the fences surrounding occupied Palestinian territories. An arc shaped wire was added on top of the headpiece, resembling the arcs commonly used in Arabic architecture. I sewed the two fabrics to construct a triangle shaped Keffiyeh, resembling a Palestinian bride headdress. Providing a majestic appearance to the headpiece, I wanted to challenge the preconceived notions that Israeli people have of the Palestinians.
The Palestinian Headpiece:
