Mending the Museum: Digital Rug Making
Date: April 6th 11am-1pm
Ages: 8-18
This workshop is virtual; Zoom details will come in an email following registration.
Join artist Shaheer Zazai in “Digital Rug Making”. The aim of the workshop will be to discuss and play around with the visual vocabulary of colours and numbers that exist both in digital images as well as textiles. Through this workshop participants can create their own patterns and designs using computer programs such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
The workshop will include a background on the artist’s practice, process and thoughts on the relationship of textiles to computers and digital image making. Through a group activity, participants will also be guided by the artist in creating collaborative imagery.
If the participants don’t have access to Microsoft Word or Google Docs, they can still participate using the following tools:
- Blank paper
- Graph paper
- Highlighters
For questions or accessibility accommodations, please email Allie: adavis@textilemuseum.ca
About the Artist
Shaheer Zazai’s practice focuses on exploring and attempting to investigate the development of cultural identity in the present geopolitical climate and diaspora. The digital works revolve around Microsoft Word and imagery reminiscent of traditional Afghan carpets. Through mimicking carpet-making methods, Zazai creates his own designs in Microsoft Word, where every knot of a carpet is translated into a typed character.
Over the years Zazai’s material vocabulary has expanded into textile work, site-specific public art installations and video works with his lens becoming self-reflective. For the ‘Mending the Museum’ he worked with the images of war rugs from the museum’s collection. With removal of war imagery from the collection, Zazai is curious about the landscape that will emerge from the rugs. Maybe a new narrative will emerge. Maybe the gardens will flourish. Maybe a dream garden will emerge that will invite the viewer to form their story of the dreamer. The dreamer herein being the land itself. The dreamer here being Afghanistan.
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