Drawing on the extraordinary collections of the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, ‘Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine’ explores both the historical and contemporary importance of the Palestinian tradition of tatreez – an ancient practice primarily undertaken by women, that reflects the social and cultural landscape of a turbulent history for the Palestinian people.

Tatreez has evolved significantly since the Nakba of 1948 into a practice not only of kinship and community, but of solidarity and resistance. ‘Thread Memory’ brings together over 30 historic and modern dresses, alongside 100 archival photographs from Palestine, which collectively tell a rich story of this living art form.

Curated by Rachel Dedman, ‘Thread Memory’ grows out of over a decade of work she has done on Palestinian embroidery and dress, which began as curator for the Palestinian Museum. Her previous exhibitions exploring the history of tatreez include ‘At the Seams’ at Dar El-Nimer, Beirut (2015), ‘Unravelled’ at Beirut Art Center (2016), ‘Labour of Love’ at the Palestinian Museum, Birzeit (2018), and ‘Material Power’ for Kettle’s Yard and the Whitworth, UK, (2023/24). She has also authored three books on this subject.

Rachel Dedman is a curator and writer based in London. As Jameel Curator of Contemporary Art from the Middle East at the V&A, Rachel curates the triennial Jameel Prize, including exhibitions ‘Poetry to Politics’ (2021) and ‘Moving Images’ (2024). In 2020 she founded the V&A’s Jameel Fellowship programme, a research residency for contemporary artists. In her independent practice, Rachel specialises in fashion and textiles, and in 2024 was co-curator of the ‘State of Fashion Biennial: Ties that Bind in the Netherlands’. Between 2013 and 2019, Rachel was an independent curator based in Lebanon, where she curated projects across the Middle East and Europe. Trained in the history of art at St John’s College, Oxford, and Harvard University, Rachel lectures and teaches worldwide.

‘Thread Memory’ is in partnership with the Palestinian Museum.