Mixed media: various fabrics and metal chain. Approximately 180 cm x 240 cm. 2024.
Published in ISSUE XI: COMMON GROUND.
In Gordianknott1994 (2024), Tarfa Bachan explores themes of memory, separation, and transformation through a textile collage that reflects her Bedouin heritage and a commitment to sustainable art practices. The work is crafted from reclaimed fabrics and inherited textiles, using a combination of the Mola technique — an intricate process involving the layering and cutting away of fabrics to reveal underlying patterns — and silkscreen printing. These materials and techniques are not only a nod to her cultural roots but also a conscious choice to minimise waste, symbolising resilience and the preservation of history.
The central image of Gordianknott1994 depicts a poignant moment between Bachan’s parents in a familiar family setting, shortly before their separation. The scene, set in a locale the family often visited, captures the intimacy and tension of a relationship at a crossroads. The title Gordianknott1994 alludes to the Gordian Knot, a metaphor for a complex problem that can only be solved by bold action. In this context, it reflects the tangled emotions and unresolved issues that lead to the unravelling of the family unit. The knot, like the fabric layers in the Mola technique, represents the intricate and sometimes painful connections that bind people together, even as they pull apart.
Bachan’s work resonates deeply with the themes of communal spaces and shared experiences explored in Issue XI: Common Ground. The Mola technique, with its emphasis on revealing what lies beneath the surface, serves as a powerful metaphor for uncovering the hidden layers of our shared human experience.
Gordianknott1994 challenges us to look beyond the surface of division and conflict to find the underlying connections that unite us, urging us to create and preserve spaces for radical dialogue and transformative love.
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