Cultural Preservation During Genocide: A talk with SAMARKAND سمرقند

Thursday July 17. 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Unassigned Gallery, Brunswick
All materials provided. Hosted by Made in Palestine and the Stitch Intifada.

Join us for a powerful session led by SAMARKAND—a Bethlehem-based artist and cultural practice —centred on tatreez, the traditional Palestinian art of cross-stitch embroidery.

This workshop focuses on cultural preservation during genocide, and the role of tatreez as a form of survival, memory, and resistance. Samar will speak to how this ancestral practice continues to carry meaning across generations, particularly for those living under occupation and displacement.

Rather than a technical embroidery class, this session is an opportunity to listen, reflect, and witness. Samar will share how tatreez has been preserved through oral histories, feminist traditions, and community care—holding the stories of land, loss, and ongoing resistance.

Stitching guidance will be available for beginners at the start of the class, but the core of this gathering is about honouring tatreez as a cultural archive and act of defiance in the face of erasure.

We’ll explore:

The role of tatreez in cultural preservation during genocide
Embroidery as a vessel for memory, history, and identity
Feminist and intergenerational traditions of Palestinian craft
The continued power of everyday practices to resist cultural erasure

Facilitated by Samar Abedrabo of SAMARKAND, joining us digitally from Bethlehem. Hosted by Made in Palestine as part of Office Hours at Unassigned Gallery.

About SAMARKAND

A cultural initiative dedicated to preserving traditional Palestinian embroidery. SAMARKAND offers beautifully embroidered T-shirts, Tatreez workshops, and research to protect this art form. SAMARKAND collaborates with both local and international artists on various projects, fostering a global appreciation and understanding of this rich cultural tradition.

Samar Abedrabo is a passionate advocate for human rights and cultural preservation, holding a BA in International Law and Human Rights from Bard College. Currently, she serves as a Coordinating and Administrative Assistant at Wonder Cabinet, a space for cultural and art production in Bethlehem. In addition, Samar works with Made in Palestine, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing Palestinians with humanitarian and economic support. As the founder of SAMARKAND, a Tatreez initiative, she is dedicated to teaching and preserving the art of Palestinian embroidery, empowering beginners to connect with this rich cultural tradition.

Fundraising

All proceeds from this event will be directly donated to Made in Palestine's current humanitarian project 'Crisis Aid for a Gazan Family'. Crisis Aid for a Gazan Family is a targeted, rights-based humanitarian project supporting a displaced family in Gaza. With three young babies in their care and access to essentials severely restricted due to Israel’s ongoing illegal blockade, the family is facing daily risks to their health, safety, and dignity.

Made in Palestine is committed to providing $8,000 AUD of aid over six months, ensuring the family can meet their most urgent needs.