As Great As Your Dream

Contemporary Khayameya Wall-Hangings

THE FACTORY, CAIRO, MARCH 16-21, 2022

This collection of hangings made by skilled craftsmen in the street of the tentmakers in Cairo continues a long Egyptian tradition of decorating homes and public places with hand-stitched Khayameya textiles, creating an uplifting, joyous mood.



In creating this collection, we draw upon this tradition, producing wall hangings that respond to the world around them today, capturing sentiments and scenes of contemporary and modern Egypt.

Our theme for this exhibition is the many different states of dreaminess – from the universal dream of prosperity and of plenty, seen in gardens and perfectly ripe fruit, to the dream of tranquillity so perfectly captured by the gentle movement of feluccas sailing unhurriedly up and down the Nile. Some pieces reflect the active process of dreaming – the dream of education, often that of parents for their children, the dreams of the state, currently orchestrating its vision of an Egyptian renaissance, and even the mundane dream of personal autonomy and adventure, captured so well in scenes of
young tuk-tuk drivers, zooming around the more informal areas of Cairo.

As the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish wrote, “The earth
expands to encompass your dreams.”



OUR PROCESS

This exhibition reflects on the Khayameya craft itself – celebrating its artistic
traditions. A few examples reproduce antique pieces to understand their conventions of scale and colour. In most of the works, we have drawn upon
these traditions to create something new. Such a process is true of any living craft – for over 1000 years, Egyptian craftsmen making Khayameya have combined tradition with experimentation in different measure, depending on the craftsperson, the mood, the client, and the occasion.

For us, the process of creating these pieces is a surprisingly long and intense one. Using pen and ink, paint, and design software, we piece together the components of each design. Some pieces take 20 or 30 design trials. Then there is the process of translating the design into fabric. Sometimes the perfect colour is only available in a fabric that is too thick or thin, and we have to go back to the drawing board.

We work through a reflective, collaborative process, hanging the finished
pieces up, standing back and thinking of whether we need to add some
stitching, or add more patterns.

Our process mirrors the collaborative tradition of this craft. Historically the
Khayameya technique was used to produce large tent panels. Four or five
people would work on each panel together, enjoyably passed the time,
thinking, chatting, and stitching.


This collection echoes that spirit of intense, but pleasurable, labour.

Seif El Rashidi & Naila El Shishiny

Read more →

2021 Summer Exhibits

2021 Markaz hits the north coast with not one, but TWO exhibitions to showcase their latest crafts and holiday home items. 
Check out some of the pics from both events:

Read more →

Once Upon a Time in the West

Matrouh is part of the Western Desert Mediterranean Coastal Zone. Matrouh lies around 150 km west of the El-Alamein WWII battle site. Its main town, Marsa Matrouh is a small Mediterranean town known for its white sandy beaches and breathtaking clear blue waters. It was also made famous during WWII as the location of the Rommel, “The Desert Fox” camp site. 

Read more →

The Beauty of Simple

Basket weaving is one of the most ancient forms of craft, and part of the Egyptian heritage from the Ancient Egyptian tradition. There are generally categorized into tree types, coiled, twined and plaited, and all techniques descend directly from the Pharonic times.

Read more →

Ancient Traditions - Master Weavers

Akhmim is home of the impressive Meritamen-statue daughter of Ramsis II and Queen Nefertari 1280 BC. The city has been growing organically since layer over layer like rarely seen in Egypt. 

Read more →

Metamorphosis of a Butterfly

Since Egypt was ancient, Egyptians developed crafts drawing on their environment to design products that add quality and beauty to their lives and as a source of income. Crafts have useful uses but they are also an art form as decorative accessories for homes and for personal attire

Read more →