Everyday Talismans

Academic studies on patterns in textile art from the global south are often approached with an Orientalist lens that discredits these motifs as superficial and decorative. ‘Everyday talismans’, proposed by mmag resident Jad Dahshan, invited audiences to examine ancient Circassian craft designs, used most often in textile but also in woodwork and metal smithing, to then develop motifs representing the participants’ personal stories and histories. Throughout the workshop, participants discussed the origins and significance of different patterns from around the world, and created novel geometric formulas that integrate symbols representing them individually.