The exhibition will invite visitors to consider the ever-burning endurance of the Palestinian people as they walk between floor-length, hanging textile installations delicately draped through the space – each thread connecting with another representing individual and collective narratives. لملمة [pron. lamlameh], proposed by Professor Abeer R. Musleh (1), is the process of lifting fallen pieces, gathering and weaving together. The works of Hassan and Tatreez Collective use traditional Palestinian embroidery techniques to thread global tales of displaced Palestinian people together, joining parts to make a whole – once again. At a time when the Palestinian people are enduring genocide, annexation and displacement it is crucial that we recognise and honour the concept, power and resilience encapsulated by لملمة.

لملمة; Gathering will present three large scale textile installations that visually transport us through dawn skies and forest trees in a harmonious journey that connects us to the paradise realms of Jannah (Islamic Garden), while grounding us in earthly urgencies. Central to the exhibition is Areen Hassan’s new monumental installation, Heavenly Loom. Featuring floor-to-ceiling silk panels, the work is a delicate immersive pathway to the sublime, spiritually connecting us to the realms above as we walk through the layered fabrics. Hassan’s deeply personal practise solemnizes her Palestinian heritage, binding her art with her identity. Her dramatic textile hangings and installations echo traditional Palestinian embroidery (tatreez), acting as living vessels of stories, memories and resilience. 

Striking large-scale textile pieces by London-based Tatreeze Collective will celebrate Palestinian heritage through collective creativity. Tatreez Forest presents three embroidered panels initially developed with The Arab British Centre and funded by the Barakat Foundation, in 2024 to highlight Palestinian textiles in UK museums which grew to become a global project now including 500+ panels following worldwide participation from over 15 countries. Cyprus trees are tall, evergreen, conical, and symmetrical, and have impressive longevity, with some living for centuries. This trait is evident in both the natural landscape and Tatreez, serving as a symbol of Palestinian resilience.

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