Verses II, by Faheema Eissar
When we talked, I told him about my healing journey through Art Therapy, which inspired him to create a few pieces. This piece he shared with me says ‘Don’t go without me. Or don’t leave me alone here. Or don’t leave me behind.’ ...Many people faced systematic discrimination and so many were forced out again. They truly have the question ‘where is home?’ And I do too. Where do I really belong? Where do I really call home? Where will I ever settle and feel the peace, I have craved all my life?

Verses, by Faheema Eissar

By the age of seven, I was weaving carpets 16 hours a day and had become the principal source of income for my family. My father, who had been a general under a previous government, was a marked man. Our family was repeatedly forced to flee...

These textiles were not made for the surrounding markets, rather as household items, woven by the women of the family. Persian weddings practice this tradition with a multitude of symbolic elements.

These rugs depict feelings of opposition by the women weavers through thematic war designs. Living in a war-torn country, everything these women saw - tanks, military vehicles, assault rifles, helicopters, etc. - made their way into the rugs. 

To be candid, kilims could be some of the most artistic rugs to date. They are made from a blend of cultures, nomads passing through lands during migrations, sharing ideas and designs, and there are UNLIMITED designs. 

Classifying rugs as Shiraz is misleading; according to several authors no actual rugs were made in Shiraz itself. 

Red is a widely used color, ranging anywhere from pale pink, red orange to bright magenta.

Animals play a key part in the development of hand-made rugs.

As our Rustigian community already knows, the city of Shiraz once produced the finest wine in the world, dating back to 9th century Persia. In a way, you can consider these carriers a homage to their historical roots.

He was aghast at the thought of sitting next to me, the un-shrouded western woman. All boarding stopped while the family rearranged itself so that I had two female seat-mates in my row.