This original artwork is inspired by eL Seed visit at the refugee camp of Ain Al Helweh in south Lebanon in june 2019. He met a group of women artisans who are preserving the old art of Palestinian Embroidery. Each mural, that is exclusively designed for this project, will be translated into an artwork created in the medium of Tatreez by the women. 

Meeting these women was quite surprising for eL Seed. The feeling of familiarity and closeness was natural and mutual. Soon, he started the first mural with the help of the women. All the women were excited and intrigued by eL Seed’s techniques of painting. Each one picked a colour and didn’t want to leave that colour to anyone else for the next few days. After a few murals, some knew already which one they wanted to embroider. They were taking ownership of the murals and were also projecting the complexity of the embroidery. Some of them were asking to not put too many colours as it would make the embroidery difficult to recreate.

Umm Mahmood mentioned that even though the project happened inside the camp, they felt like they had taken a journey outside of the camp. Their living conditions are hard but they stand their ground and show their resilience, strength and pride through their crafts and art. They carry their Palestinian identity with them in their hearts and in their actions. Some of them have never visited Palestine but they still continue the tradition of embroidery, which has been passed down through generations. Each stitch closes a wound that exile has opened. They embrace life and it is symbolic one the wall we painted were the words of Mahmoud Darwish saying:

                                                 « I am from there. I am from here.
                                                  I am not there and I am not here. »