Palestine’s famous square, cross-stitched embroidery – tatreez in Arabic – has grown into a symbol of the country and its struggle, transcending its workaday origins.
Tatreez has also been picked up by artists, drawn to its cultural and historical significance as well as its sheer beauty: the complexity of the formal motifs; the symmetry of the recursive geometry; and the variation in patterns, many of which are unique to villages, tribes, and even families.
Now, as part of London art space the Mosaic Rooms’s digital programme, artist Jordan Nassar is teaching others to cross-stitch the Palestinian patterns, drawing on his own embroidery practice.
He has uploaded a PDF document with one of his bespoke designs for others to follow at home, along with a video tutorial of tips he has picked up in his 10 years of embroidery.
In some ways, Nassar is a perfect teacher; he too learnt the tradition of embroidery as an adult, teaching himself after a trip to Palestine and Israel in 2012.
Nassar’s father is Palestinian and mother Polish. He grew up in New York’s Upper West Side as a typical third-culture kid, in a house filled with both Palestinian and Polish knickknacks, English as the main language, and Arabic lessons on the weekends.
While traditionally the art of tatreez is practiced by women, and mostly adorns the fronts and cuffs of their dresses, Nassar’s version updates it to reflect contemporary motifs – computers appear from time to time, and he has likened embroidery to pixelation – and he has shifted its orientation from design to art.
He embroiders his patterns on an unbleached woven cotton cloth, which he stretches afterwards to be hung on the wall as canvases. The simile is deliberate: the works also incorporate landscape elements, embedding postcard-like outlines of mountains and suns among the neat rows of tatreez designs.
“This kind of embroidery was so ubiquitous in my house, that [when I returned] I thought of it immediately,” he says.
“I got a needle and thread and started trying it out. I found some books about it, started learning, and the learning curve was really intense. I started to realise how rich this medium was and the wheels got turning with things to do. This is the only medium I’ve ever worked in.”
The career of the Brooklyn artist has risen quickly since.
This is Palestinian in terms of the medium, because that is who I am
After stitching traditional patterns for a few years as a hobby, one day he introduced the form of a mountain. He put an image of the finished work on Instagram, and a director of Anat Ebgi gallery in Los Angeles messaged him "immediately," he says, asking to see more.
Nassar did not go to art school, but had worked in galleries in Berlin and at Printed Matter, an important site for art book publishing, in New York before becoming an artist. The gallery took him on, and the solo booth they gave him at Frieze New York in 2017 – with his brightly coloured stitches, painstakingly sewn – became one of the stand-out presentations of the fair.
Now, in addition to Anat Ebgi, he shows with the galleries Third Line in Dubai and James Cohan in New York, and the Whitney Museum has recently acquired a piece by Nassar.
A side career as creative director for the fashion brand Adish has also taken off. The label’s embroidered designs are sold at luxury emporiums such as Dover Street Market and Galeries Lafayette.
But if Nassar’s rise suggests a familiar – if rapid – uptake of a promising young artist in New York, some of his working methods could be criticised in light of the Israel-Palestine crisis.
Adish, for example, is a joint Israeli-Palestinian partnership. The name comes from the Hebrew for “apathetic” and is inspired, the website says, by “the hope for change”. The cloth used for the Levantine-inspired casual wear is bought and sewn in Israel and sent over to Palestine to be embroidered – a pathway so unusual, Adish has had to create its own supply lines. Suppliers meet, says Nassar, in a parking lot in Beit Jala in Zone B, where Israelis and Palestinians can both go. Then “they exchange garbage bags of clothing that is going to end up at [shops] Opening Ceremony or Dover Street Market,” he says.
Nassar’s art practice also encourages engagement between the countries. Unlike other Palestinian artists who refuse to collaborate with Israeli institutions, Nassar has shown at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv, and regularly visits friends in Israel. He is defensive about this decision, explaining that the stance of the BDS movement, which calls for boycotting, divestment and sanctions against Israel, often does not correlate with the realities on the ground. Palestinians and Israelis exist in the same economic sphere and – out of necessity or tolerance – work together.
“I feel confident at this point that I am entrenched enough in both sides that I’m able to have an opinion,” he says. But he adds: “It does not have to be everyone’s opinion.”
The status of tatreez as a symbol of Palestinian resistance gives Nassar’s adaptation of the cultural form particular political weight. While Nassar used to do all his embroidery himself, now that his career has taken off he commissions some of the Palestinian women who do contract work for Adish to also embroider for his art projects. The women generally stitch at home, working with Nassar collaboratively, where they choose a palette or pattern that Nassar later completes, or also start projects on his behalf. This isn't uncommon in the art world, where artists often outsource parts of their projects.
Today, Nassar's works sell for around $10,000 to $20,000 (Dh36,700 to 73,400).
“I’ve talked to them about it, and they are aware that these are artworks that are sold for more money,” says Nassar. “They are not interested in a percentage of the sales price, because for them they need the money [now] – not if it sells in a year. It really comes down to whatever they want to bill me.”
When it returns to New York, Nassar says the embroideries operate as “soft activism”, opening conversations around Palestinian culture that are separate from the cliche of conflict. And the popularity of his practice, as well as his success in adding new forms to the tradition, has made it apparent that the embroidery can exist in other contexts – whether on the art market or, indeed via the Mosaic Rooms, in the homes of non-Palestinians.
“This is Palestinian in terms of the medium, because that is who I am,” Nassar says. “What the work speaks to hopefully is something more universal and timeless.”
The pattern for Jordan Nassar’s design can be downloaded at www.mosaicrooms.org
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Torque: 760Nm
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Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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MATCH INFO
Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Monchengladbach 1
Bayern: Zirkzee (26'), Goretzka (86')
Gladbach: Pavard (37' og)
Man of the Match: Breel Embolo (Borussia Monchengladbach)
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBen%20Wheatley%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJason%20Statham%2C%20Jing%20Wu%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Page%20Kennedy%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Melissanthi%20Mahut%20and%20Shuya%20Sophia%20Cai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
List of alleged parties
May 15 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at
least 17 staff members
May 20 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'bring your own booze'
party
Nov 27 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary
Gavin Williamson
Dec 13 2020: PM and Carrie throw a flat party
Dec 14 2020: London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative
Party headquarters
Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Third Test
Day 3, stumps
India 443-7 (d) & 54-5 (27 ov)
Australia 151
India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
