Artist in residency Sefrou, Morocco

When I took off for Morocco I just didn’t know what to expect.
Rushing out of my hectic Western life in the early morning I found myself thrown back for ages in the quiet ambiance of a four hundred year old Jewish house in the centre of the oldest Moroccan medina in Sefrou on that very same day.

When entering the beautiful residence I was filled with an absolute quietness.
The thick stone walls shut out all the outside rumour and allowed a peaceful ambiance.

I wanted to experience the old crafts of weaving, knotting and dying with the rich local sheep wool. Dying textiles with natural pigments from the region.
I instinctively felt that I was here in the right place.

Next morning when I went out for a walk, an overwhelming bouquet of intense colors mixed with exotic fragrances unfolded right before my eyes.
Every square inch in the medina was occupied by local craftsmen and artisans performing crafts while the inspiring colors of local spices, piled up in large
rattan baskets were scattered over the pavement like a an enormous painting.

With the tremendous help of Jess Stephens, owner of Culture Vultures, I decided to work at the studio of Madame Jamila, an elderly lady who once had a flourishing bussines in carpet knotting. Now there are only three women left working and although madame Jamila claims she is retired, she still comes in for a few hours every day to check the designs that the women are knotting for her. We decided to start on Monday, early morning.

Entering Jamilas studio on Monday morning I found a big loom, the women had set up for me.

While they demonstrated the technique of knotting textile I filmed their skilled hands.
A magic play of fast moving supple fingers combined with years of learning experience.

At first I was just trying to get the technique right and made a collage with all the different wool colors available. While I was working on this small piece I saw the women finish carpet after carpet in beautiful colorful palettes. Two weeks I worked on my little color test and while I had asked the ladies to knot one of my designs, I decided to start an actual design test too.
I loved to have the time to actually work side by side with these craftswomen for whom this was there daily routine for six days a week.  To learn from them this ancient technique that has been a precious experience as this craft is to end after this generation in Northern Morocco.

At first I was just trying to get the technique right and made a collage with all the different wool colors available. While I was working on this small piece I saw the women finish carpet after carpet in beautiful colorful palettes. Two weeks I worked on my little color test and while I had asked the ladies to knot one of my designs, I decided to start an actual design test too.
The women finished in one day while I worked on the new design till the end of my stay.

I loved to have the time to actually work side by side with these craftswomen for whom this was there daily routine for six days a week.  To learn from them this ancient technique that has been a precious experience as this craft is to end after this generation in Northern Morocco.

And now, two month after, when looking at one of my own hand-made tapestries in our studio I know I value the time and my learning experience in Sefrou and it inspires me in making new design patterns.