Introducing Fes iv: Weave – the fourth artwork in the Arabic Red Box series. This work is inspired by the pulse and rhythm of life flowing through the narrow alleyways and streets of Fes.
The story behind the artwork
Making the most of every day of the residency, I’d walk up and down the maze of alleyways, through the souks – from the heart of the medina up to the Blue Gate – and observe, photograph and take notes.
The words for this artwork are sourced from these notes, tracing a walk with a friend – from her home at Dar Drouj, weaving through the souks and the lively medina, and up to a busy weaver’s loom shop near the elaborately embellished Bou Inania Madrasa.
Weave
I first wrote the full narrative in English and then, working with a friend in Fes, translated it into Darija (Moroccan dialect of Arabic) to ensure the phrasing felt natural, authentic and true to the original sentiment.
“Through winding streets under the watchful gaze of the cats of Fes … sitting, sleeping, waiting to be fed. A constant hum of people moving, porters pushing hand carts carrying bread from baker to vendor, bartered exchanges, and noisy conversation. The pulse, the dance of daily life halted for a moment to stand aside and make room for donkeys carrying cargo on the steep and narrow streets. The occasional group of tourists thread a long string, pulled by a guide eager to share knowledge. Stalls selling Khlea, dates and prickly pear, vibrant heady spices piled high in endless buckets and pans, herb sellers with upturned crates laden with mint, lemon verbena, and marjoram. Past tanneries with their pungent vats of leather, indigo and dye. Uphill past a spinner, twisting thread stretched between nails on the wall and his electric drill, winding, making cord for kaftans. Onwards to a doorway, climbing steep, worn steps to a room of muted sunlight … shelves of cloth, cones of spun thread … and the timeless rhythmic click-clack of the shuttle on the loom.”
Original words composed by Catherine Hill.
Size: 21 x 21cm approx. This piece forms part of a series shaped by time spent on an art residency in Fes, Morocco. Hand‑embroidered in vintage red Sylko thread, the work nods to one of the national colours of Morocco.
