Tess Carlton

This body of work celebrates the long history and ongoing practice of tatreez, traditional Palestinian embroidery. It also bears witness and voices dissent against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Home Sweet Home is a meditative reflection on the scale of human tragedy and an explicit statement of resistance against my government’s complicity. Gaza stitched together involves the work of many hands, engaging and a shared practice which creates space for mindful reflection on issues surrounding censorship and systems of oppression. The motifs I have chosen are predominantly environmental, highlighting the desire of Palestinians to return to their homeland. The incomplete design highlights the ongoing dispossession and destruction of Palestinian life and land. A veil censors the work prompting a more intimate engagement as the viewer needs to step past the shroud to see the embroidery clearly, this is also a statement on the censorship of Palestinian issues on every scale.