Islamic embroidery tells stories of love and family

The exhibition is on at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News Traditional, embroidered works of art made by women from urban and nomadic communities are now on display at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. The women handcrafted the items for special occasions. Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News The Pakistani expatriate who lives in Dubai said: "We came here [as visitors from Dubai] as part of the Eid celebrations and it was worth it to enjoy the diversity of Islamic embroidery." By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter Published: 00:00 September 13, 2010 Abu Dhabi:  Asma Burhan said she felt nostalgic while looking at the beautiful embroidery created by Baloch women. It reminded her of her childhood. "They have put their heart and soul [with their hands] into these works as they don't have the help of computers or any other modern gadgets," Burhan said about the embroidery designs now on show in Abu Dhabi. The Pakistani expatriate who lives in Dubai said: "We came here [as visitors from Dubai] as part of the Eid celebrations and it was worth it to enjoy the diversity of Islamic embroidery." Burhan, accompanied by her two daughters, spoke to Gulf News on Sunday at the exhibition now on at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. "A story of Islamic Embroidery in Nomadic and Urban Traditions" was organised by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC). TDIC chairman Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan in his message in the exhibition's programme said: "The remarkable textiles we showcase in this exhibition spring directly from the lives of diverse people across the Islamic world." Enriching experience Burhan, who said she was an art collector, said being acquainted with traditional arts such as Islamic embroidery had enriched her life. "But my children are not aware of these traditions so I wanted to introduce them to this rich culture," she said. When she was young it was her hobby to travel through rural parts of Balochistan to enjoy the artistic talents of rural women, the collector said. "These works narrate the life of rural women," Burhan said. Some of the best works were by girls. "They put all their efforts and creativity to make fantastic works to impress the bridegroom's family just after the wedding," she said. Most of the pieces, which were Pakistani, were florid. But the Moroccan works were geometric [in nature]. African works were entirely different again, she said. "It shows the diversity of these works," Burhan said about the exhibition. Her daughters Noor and Neha said it was the first time they had visited an embroidery exhibition and they enjoyed it very much. The TDIC's cultural department said in the exhibition programme: "We often speak of the arts being woven into the fabric of our lives". "This turn of phrase becomes literally true in this exhibition; every textile on view came from the hands and imaginations of the women who were stitching fabrics for use within their own homes or community. "The magnificent embroidery they created were beautiful — precursors, in their way, of the abstract painting of the 20th century." The event Exhibition: A story of Islamic Embroidery in Nomadic and Urban Traditions Open 10am - 10pm until September 25, at Gallery One, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi. From Gulf News