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WATFA IS A TATREEZ ARTIST, EDUCATOR/HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, FIBER ARTS TEACHER AND PHOTOGRAPHER (@stitched_by_foof). She shares her deep family connection to Palestine, tracing her father's journey from Dirar Al-Ba'ain near Ramallah to Brazil, where he met her mother, and eventually settling in the South Bronx. For her, growing up in a tight-knit Palestinian community that mirrored village life in Palestine created a cultural "little Deir Al-Ba'ain" in New York.

As a dedicated embroiderer, Watfa learned from her father's sister and preserved traditional motifs while also innovating. She shares fascinating stories about her photography work capturing tatreez in Gaza during the 1980s-90s, documenting patterns that may no longer exist today. She passes on these traditions, using butterfly motifs from her aunt's dresses for her daughter's projects, making her work a living bridge between generations and preserving cultural heritage that faces ongoing erasure.

Watfa shares her life lesson that "telling [her] story" through embroidery has been transformative, helping her embrace her dual identity and express herself authentically. Despite her busy life as an educator and mother, she finds precious moments to create, using train rides for crafting and keeping multiple projects underway. This episode is a reminder to share your stories, because tatreez serves as both personal expression and cultural resistance in the face of ongoing Palestinian displacement and erasure.

You’ll hear about:

>> 0:58: Watfa’s connection to Palestine

>> 6:32: Growing up Palestinian-Brazilian in the Bronx

>> 11:43: Learning tatreez and herself visiting Palestine

>> 19:36: Photographing tatreez at home and in Gaza

>> 22:30: Watfa’s art upon returning 

>> 25:43: Embarking on a thobe

>> 36:07: Teaching fiber arts

>> 41:36: How engaging with tatreez has shifted

>> 44:50: Current projects

>> 48:36: Life lesson from tatreez

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