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Join us for an evening of reflection, connection and sounds, guided by the narratives of female Palestinian voices. Four fashion designers of 3EIB collective – Mai Zarkawi, Dana Khoury, Elissar El Hammoud and Karmel Sabri will explore the theme of decolonising fashion in an intimate discussion, reflecting on notions of identity, creativity and resistance in the present.

The panel will be followed by a sequel of sonic resistance. Karmel Sabri will debut a collage that layers sounds, songs and words in response to Gaza. Bint Mbareh will improvise a piece rooted in archival research exploring the social context of the Arabic word 3eib (عيب / in English shame) through humour and uncouth subversions.

This event is curated by Dania Arafeh, a Palestinian British curator and founder of 3EIB – a platform showcasing independent fashion brands from the SWANA region.

Hosted by AWAN festival and The Mosaic Rooms.

BIO NOTES

Mai Zarkawi is a jewellery designer from the village of Majd Al-Krum in Upper Galilee, Northern Palestine. She draws inspiration from her present experiences intertwined with the memories of her grandparents. Through her creations, Mai narrates tales that reflect the natural beauty of the area and her childhood, through a romantic and nostalgic visual monologue.

Dana Khoury is an artist and designer from Nazareth. Reflecting on her own identity a Palestinian minority in the Israeli occupied territories of ‘48, fashion is her chosen medium for exploring existential and anthropological themes through decolonising and archiving history. Through her work, Dana celebrates creativity and challenges societal norms, and advocates for self-expression and cultural reclamation in a complex world.

Elissar El Hammoud is a Lebanese and Palestinian designer and DJ, born and raised in Germany. Her brand ELISSARRR tells a personal tale through garments which incorporate images from time spent in the region. Through highlighting the life of the SWANA region and its diaspora worldwide, the goal is to empower a community of people to celebrate themselves and their culture.

Karmel Sabri is a Palestinian American artist and organiser working primarily with installation, printmaking, public interventions, and parties. She creates environments which foster meaningful discussion and encourage community healing of collective colonial traumas, exploring the concept of celebration as a method of resistance.

Bint Mbareh is a sonic artist with a curiosity on the superpowers of communal singing. Her initiation into music came through her research on rain-summoning in Palestine to combat the myth of water scarcity pushed by Israeli settler colonialism. Believing in the power of invoking rather than remembering, Bint Mbareh’s sound is a powerful source of resistance in its truest form.

Dania Arafeh is a Palestinian British curator and founder of 3EIB. She has previously held roles as Head of Middle Eastern & North African galleries at Artsy, and Curatorial Partnerships Lead at Avant Arte. Central to Dania’s work is the intention to nurture communities that exist between the balance of honouring cultural heritage and authentic self expression.

3EIB is a community-led platform, pop-up and creative agency, spotlighting independent fashion brands from the SWANA region. Their mission is to encourage the authentic expression of cultural identity, to challenge the existing power structures that seek to control and suppress our voices, and to elevate the SWANA fashion industry to the same level of recognition as other global fashion hubs.

Arab Women Artists Now (AWAN) is a multi-arts festival dedicated to celebrating and promoting high quality female artists from the Arab world and diaspora – featuring music, comedy, literature, visual art, theatre and performance, along with a series of workshops and development opportunities for emerging artists.

This event is supported by The Mosaic Rooms, Arts Canteen, Arts Council England, Bagri Foundation and Cockayne Foundation.

Images: Stills from the 1950’s Egyptian film Yasmine by Anwar Wagdi. One of the earliest cultural reclamations of the Arabic word 3eib / عيب.