female patterns
A Carpet for the Women of Afghanistan
The student project female patterns by Lara Herrmann and Lara Kranich of the Fakultät Gestaltung in Würzburg wants to shine a light on women’s fight of rights in Afghanistan.
It’s September 2021. The worldwide news report about a country in crisis. Countless people are facing an uncertain future and women in particular fear for their lives. The country that is causing such a stir is Afghanistan. With the withdrawal of the western military units the Taliban are taking power again. But it is not yet clear what exactly this means for the future of the country. Especially women address themselves to the public: to their compatriots, to the West so that people don’t look away again. With strong voices they demand their rights. Women have always had to fight particularly hard for their right to exist and had to submit to men, being considered the weaker sex.
The rights of women should no longer be swept under the metaphorical carpet. female patterns is a student project by two students of the Fakultät Gestaltung in Würzburg that wants to give space to this important topic. Within the period of one semester a unique design was developed and the carpet was hand tufted. female patterns shows how strong and intelligent Afghan women are. It’s a space where these women tell about themselves and their relationship with their homeland. Source of these stories is the book Wo Mut die Seele trägt: Wir Frauen in Afghansiatan by Naht Shahalimi.
The special hanging of the carpet reveals its underside and thus the stories of seven Afghan women which are displayed there, as well as a brief history of the country. The artistic front of the rug abstractly symbolizes the conservative beliefs that are woven into Afghan culture, based on a traditional oriental rug and modified to a pomegranate which is a symbol of femininity in the center of the carpet. Above all the carpet symbolizes something beautiful. female patterns wants to focus on strength and hope rather than the very negative connotation we often have with Afghanistan.
female patterns
Designers: Lara Herrmann, Lara Kranich
Release: WS 21/22
Supervisor: Prof. Christoph Barth
More about the project here
