tatreez — noun
A Palestinian hand-embroidery tradition of cross-stitched geometric and floral motifs, using vibrant threads to form repeating patterns that convey regional origin, family identity, and social memory. Practiced across generations on garments, household textiles, and decorative pieces, its specific stitches, color palettes, and placements (notably on the thobe) carry narrative and symbolic meaning.
Etymology: from Arabic تطريز (taṭrīz), “embroidery.”
In Liane Al Ghusain’s practice: tatreez is a living visual language—adapted in textile installations, painted surfaces, and mixed-media works—to explore identity, memory, and the continuity of craft within contemporary art.