Textile Society of America
Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings
Date of this Version
2024
Document Type
Presentation
Citation
Textile Society of America 2024 Symposium
Shifts & Strands: Rethinking the Possibilities and Potentials of Textiles, November 12-17, 2024, a virtual event
Abstract
“Weaving Rituals for Resistance” explores the history and significance of the tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl, as an immersive and transformative experience. Since 2022, I have been researching the historical development, making practices, and use of tallit, and its intersections with gender, sexuality, and power. Traditionally, tallit are worn by men; that is changing. There is no one way to feel about wearing tallit, but many share that they feel safe, protected and held. I worked with my rabbi to develop educational programming – a five-session course in Fall 2023. We covered history, textual sources for design and use, biblical dyes, and how to make one’s tallit. As a weaver, I aim to empower queer folks to create tallit and add our experiences to their rich history as ritual objects. As an exhibition manager specializing in digital and new media art, I consider tallit an experiential space. Much like wearers of tallit, visitors of immersive art installations hope to be transported and transformed. My presentation will share my journey of creating a tallit, the object’s evolving meanings, and tallit’s role in empowering diverse communities, showcasing textiles as dynamic architectures imbued with personal and communal significance.
Included in
Art and Materials Conservation Commons, Art Practice Commons, Fashion Design Commons, Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts Commons, Fine Arts Commons, Islamic Studies Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, Queer Studies Commons
Comments
Published by the Textiles Society of America
Copyright 2024, the author. Used by permission