Eternal Crafts: Communal Weaving

“Eternal Crafts” is a two-part exhibition exploring craftsmanship’s deep connection to time, skill and collaboration. The second edition, “Communal Weaving,” features the commissioned artwork "Tirhal: To Al-Ahsa."

The artwork is a visual travelogue of Abeer Seikaly’s four-day experience at the Julayjilah palm farm in al-Hasa. Hosted by the farm owner, Jasim Al-Mousa, and working alongside the khoos (palm fronds) weavers, Masouma Al Hamdan and Fatima Al-Mousa—and other creative practitioners—their collective fieldwork was transformed into a woven structure, a photographic series and a short film.

Arabic for “journeying,” tirhal is a continuation of Abeer’s expeditions. Originally a conceptual sketch in the artist’s studio—a spiral unfurling into a mat—the project evolved through serendipitous encounters and the unpredictability of the farm. 

Here, the palm is more than material; it is a living ecology. The palm tree—evergreen, maternal and enduring—acts as both subject and collaborator. Fronds were cut, softened then woven and braided into spirals through a process shaped by endurance, adaptation and dialogue.

Anchoring the exhibition is the woven structure—part trunk, part mat. Suspended, the trunk unravels into a floor mat of overlapping strips, offering an intimate gathering place. Like a daily diary, the photo series captures candid moments and unfolds chronologically. The short film layers Abeer’s introspective narration with scenes of farm life, shared meals and experimental attempts.

As visitors step into “Tirhal: To Al-Ahsa,” they enter a continuum between the solitary act of contemporary design and the communal labor of traditional weaving. The project continues to unfold—each settlement seeds a passage. By weaving palm and lived experiences, Abeer—herself Jordanian-Palestinian—meditates on how indigenous knowledge migrates across hands, lands and generations in the Arab world. 

Curated by Meshal Al-Obaidallah 
Artworks by Abeer Seikaly