Beirut Tapestry

(after Bayeux Tapestry)

2021
Reclaimed fabric applique with fabric scraps, dimensions variable

Beirut Tapestry narrates a catastrophe similar to the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020, but which takes place within a parallel universe. Meant to be “read” right to left, similar to how Arabic is read, the tapestry illustrates decades of systemic corruption and the still-unresolved aftermath of a negligent government, much like Lebanon’s history. The left side of the piece is intentionally incomplete, the imagery becoming simpler in form and lost in the folds of unwritten history. Leftover fabric scraps pile up beneath the tapestry, underlining the unraveling of society. These scraps are left behind with an implied hope that there is still time to reorganize and reconstruct a new world.

Photos by Cecily Brown.