the square kufic calligraphy

 

The Square Kufic Caligraphy is a particular style of Kufic script of the 8^th. BC, widely used for tiling and architecture in general. The letters figure in their basic structural forms creating different square compositions. The purity, the austerity and simplicity of this genius script reveal its timeless beauty. It’s geometrical design makes this calligraphy to have an absolutely contemporary look.

Threads of Patience Workshop at the Benaki Museum-NHMA II

 Arriving at the last day of the workshop we realized how fast the time passed weaving and dying with our inspiring and creative team of students! We hope our participants enjoyed the workshop as much as we did and share the same feelings...!

A big hug to all of you Ioulia, Faye, Ifigenia, Sophia, Marina, Sara, Ioli, Kalliroi, Eleni, Vasso, Giorgo and Tina!

Threads of Patience Workshop at the Benaki Museum-NHMA

 It is always enjoyable to work in a nice place and we are the lucky ones to inaugurate the new space of the Benaki Museum -NHMA section.

              listen to the history of materials and natural dyes

                       follow the presentation of important fiber artists

                               
share the process of dying with plants

                         Rubia Tinctorium, Punica Granatum, Acacia Catechu

Today is the 5th day of our workshop and we are very happy to have worked with our creative participants full of energy and surprising ideas.

Tomorrow is the last day and we'll share here all the amazing works !

Thank you Ioulia, Faye, Ifigenia, Sophia, Marina, Sara, Ioli, Kalliroi, Eleni, Vasso, Giorgo and Tina.

chinese paper weavings

Some days before I received from Virginia an old paper box, telling me "you will find what to do with its content..."  Its content was a kind of ball of Chinese newspaper cut in strips wrapping an old fashioned Chinese porcelain ball.

 

The strips spread out like large threads

 in order to be weaved on my frame loom

I don't know how to read this new text but I think it could be entertaining ;-)

I hope to find somebody to read it to me!

 

cocooning

cocooning is a miracle you can see evolving in the remote edges of the hosting box

 the choice of the place

 the choreographic or ritual movement of the silk thread coming out of this wonderful little creature

looking forward to see the whole community to be established I'm enjoying every minute of the astonishing procedure

 

sharing the day to day with the silk people

the first thing you need when you share your everyday life with the silk people is to have a mulberry tree nearby.

the silk people are big eaters of mulberry tree

 and they grow up every day in an amazing way!

looking at this video you realize their voracious appetite and desire of life

the Bombyx Moris are a very pacific society, never fighting, never quarreling with each other.

tenderness is the image of their being together

and this is their message 

Children of a Silk God

Looking at the mulberry tree in my garden, I was said it was the moment to search the silk worms. I had planned for this spring to have the experience of elevating some silk worms to follow their complete evolution.

 

I found what I was searching for at the Agricultural University of Athens, at the Sericulture section.

I learned from the people of the laboratory everything I had to know about the amazing society of the silk worms.

 The laboratory keeps an old equipment in an authentic environment,

  

museum pieces telling their silk stories 

 

 cocoons beautifully arranged in a natural palm tree bed

all kind of different cocoons

and also some adult moths.

The old machines are silently there to show you how the silk was formed from thread to yarn.

   

After exploring the amazing Sericulture section and its wonderful people I had as a present some of the miracle worms

 these hungry adorable creatures, the bombyx mori!

I have learned how to take care of them especially to feed them with mulberry leaves. 

I have enjoyed their peaceful community,

and day after day I have seen them changing in order to accomplish their

special mission Nature has charged them to live.