As a continuation of Tracing the Invisible, this project expands from the medium of tracing on paper to woven textile. In collaboration with Iwan Maktabi, Sulafa chose to turn the trace of her crochet movement into a carpet. Honoring the centuries-old art practice of carpet weaving, Sulafa brings this artistic legacy into conversation with her contemporary project, once again exploring another form of textile visually. She intended to create an artwork on a greater scale compared to the original paper tracings, and she was curious as to whether the tracings would be able to be translated in this new form. By working with Iwan Maktabi, whose artisans wove the carpet from Sulafa’s artwork, the original process of transforming the usually unwitnessed movements of her hook and thread into lines, is transformed back into the threads woven into this carpet.Viewers experience this carpet vertically as it is hung on the wall. A carpet is usually underfoot, part of daily life, but by hanging it, Sulafa takes it out of its usual role and presents it as an image. This change lets the viewer see the record of Sulafa’s ephemeral gestures in full, as both an archive of her movement and as a woven surface. It bridges the worlds of craft and art, keeping the tactile presence of a carpet whileasking it to be looked at, not walked on.Viewers experience this carpet vertically as it is hung on the wall. A carpet is usually underfoot, part of daily life, but by hanging it, Sulafa takes it out of its usual role and presents it as an image. This change lets the viewer see the record of Sulafa’s ephemeral gestures in full, as both an archive of her movement and as a woven surface. It bridges the worlds of craft and art, keeping the tactile presence of a carpet whileasking it to be looked at, not walked on.
