Ahal Al Ard
kinship of the land
In this textile series, the work turns to the wild landscapes of Palestine. Each plant carries its own language of care and connection, knowledge preserved through centuries of folk tradition and medicinal use. These plants have fed, healed, and sustained the ecosystems that Palestinians have long lived within. Their unique characteristics resist the logics of land possession gained through violence, growing and spreading beyond containment. These plant-kin remind us that home is not created through territorialization but through knowledge formed by being of a place: it is the land that generates the people, who in turn belong to it.
Plant-Kin featured in the series:
- Zaatar Bari / Origanum syriacum
- Najmet Beit Lahem / Ornithogalum montanum
- Ashjar Al Sarw / Cupressus sempervirens
- Warqat Al Handhal / Citrullus colocynthis
- Damm Al Ghazal / Helichrysum sanguineum
- Khubbazi / Malva sylvestris
- Khashhash / Papaver umbonatum
Within the embroidery, fragmentation becomes both method and language, shaping a dialogue with homeland. Gaps, distortions, and disrupted motifs evoke displacement and diasporic uncertainty. Rather than reenacting traditional tatreez, motifs are broken apart, reworked, and reassembled to represent different Palestinian plants. This diasporic approach blends heritage with experimental techniques, creating a visual and tactile map of absence and memory.
The series was exhibited at P21 Gallery in London as part of the Sites of Life Exhibition from December 10th, 2025 until January 9th, 2026.
