On November 4, 2025, artist Rama Duwaji appeared on stage during Election Night in New York City, alongside her husband, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The 28-year-old artist wore an all-black ensemble, but her top stood out with a subtle texture. The top, designed by Zeid Hijazi, featured laser-etched patterns reminiscent of traditional Palestinian tatreez embroidery.
Joanna Barakat, author of ‘Narrative Threads: Palestinian Embroidery in Contemporary Art,’ commented on the significance of Duwaji’s attire, saying, “She’s making a powerful statement by wearing that. When people wear Palestinian embroidery, it’s not just decorative. It’s beautiful, of course, but it is saying something.” Barakat’s book, published by Saqi Books, delves into the deep meanings and influence of tatreez, historically undervalued as a feminine-coded craft, and explores its connection to the Palestinian political struggle.
Barakat emphasizes the importance of tatreez as both a cultural and political expression. She explained to Hyperallergic from her home in Abu Dhabi that through Palestinian artwork, one can learn a great deal about Palestinian life and narratives. For instance, after Israel banned the Palestinian flag in 1980, women began incorporating its colors into their embroidery, ensuring that the message of freedom fighters endured through their craft.
The book serves as both a historical account and a current exploration of tatreez, showcasing over 200 pieces by 24 artists, all personally interviewed by Barakat. The collection includes works such as Sliman Mansour’s portraits of women in Jaffa, Hazem Harb’s collages of Gaza, Sary Zananiri’s manipulated archival photos, Steve Sabella’s floral prints, and Samar Hejazi’s large-scale embroidery installations featured on the book’s cover.
Barakat, born in Jerusalem and raised in Los Angeles, is an artist who began her exploration of textiles through her painting ‘Heart Strings’ (2017). In this work, she depicts herself embroidering a Palestinian motif onto her skin, a process that deepened her connection to her heritage. She has since led workshops and created The Tatreez Circle, a social media community dedicated to this art form. “This medium provided me with a sense of connection to Palestine and to being Palestinian that no other medium had,” she expressed, highlighting the personal significance of tatreez in her life.
