Patterns and Belonging
Using the tradition of phulkari as a starting point, women of South and West Asian heritage from East London, came together to explore community, culture and memory in a series of workshops.
The workshops were led by Suman Gujral, an artist who works with print, stitch and poetry to explore identity, culture and belonging, and Amarjeet Nandhra, textile artist and educator.
The exhibition includes Phulkari, Suman Gujral’s prints and stitch-works and a selection of concertina books and embroidery pieces created by the women who took part.
Phulkari workshops
In 2024 the UCL Culture Lab posted a call out looking for people living in east London to take part in a project on phulkari, where they could learn techniques of collage, embroidery and block printing, as well as share their own or family stories about phulkari or other South Asian textile traditions.
Watch all the videos from the Phulkari workshops.
What is Phulkari?
Phulkari is the term used to describe embroidered cloths, historically made in the region of Punjab. Phulkaris hold a special place in Punjabi culture and are worn and presented at religious occasions and as markers of significant life events such as marriages and births. They are created using a darning stitch of vibrant floss silk from the reverse side of a hand-woven cotton cloth known as khaddar.
Photos from the workshops
