Exhibition – Twilling Tweeds & Hunarmand Hoost

Twilling Tweeds and Hunarmand Hoost (Skilled Hands) showcases the work from a collaboration between weavers in the Outer Hebrides and embroiderers in Chitral, Pakistan.

The project was designed by Edinburgh-based textile designer Adil Iqbal, who conducted a series of workshops in the Chitral valley where he introduced the makers to aspects of Scottish culture and encouraged the embroiderers to discuss the similarities between Pakistani and Scottish cultures.

The tapestries aim to depict the uniqueness of life in the Outer Hebrides and Chitral Valley. The project encouraged female artisans from Chitral to be creative designers, and gave them the space to tell their stories, interpreting the life of both communities in an attempt to establish a craft dialogue between the two regions.

Using hand crafted Harris tweeds, the narratives created by the Chitral embroiderers are embellished onto the fabric. This provides a new cultural dimension to traditional Scottish fabrics through the application of traditional Pakistani art and embroidery skills in a modern form.

The ages of the women involved range from 18-45 years and they are the owners of the entire body of works. Proceeds from the sale of these pieces go directly to them. As a result, Twilling Tweeds generates an income for both them and their families.

The exhibition of 13 contemporary hand embroidered textiles will be on display at The Nomad’s Tent in Edinburgh from 23 November 2013 until 23 December 2013. In 2014 the exhibition will travel to Kuwait, Qatar and Pakistan.

For more information on this exhibition, please visit the Twilling Tweeds and Hunarmand Hoost Facebook page.

Submitted by Adil Iqbal