10/08/2026
Ayda Issa's tatreez workshop is already sold out!* But you can still join the waitlist, you never know.
This workshop will be centred around the coffee bean motif, known in Arabic as Habbet Binn. This motif is a traditional Palestinian tatreez design commonly found in the embroidery of Gaza and Yaffa, where Ayda’s family come from. Historically, this motif appears in both regions, reflecting a shared visual language across Palestine’s coastal cities. Beyond its aesthetic, the coffee bean carries deep cultural significance: coffee is central to Palestinian hospitality and social life. Offering coffee is an act of welcome, a gesture of warmth and generosity extended to guests, making the motif a quiet but powerful symbol of connection, community and belonging.
About the artist:
Ayda Issa was born in Gaza and raised in Lutruwita/Tasmania on Muwinina Country. She earned her Bachelor of Medical Research with Honours from the University of Tasmania and now works as a Sleep Scientist at the Royal Hobart Hospital. As a member of the Tasmanian Palestinian Advocacy Committee, she has shared cultural knowledge of Palestinian cuisine and Tatreez. In her creative life, Ayda writes and performs poetry at local events and designs Arabic lettering artwork. She began creative writing as a way to preserve memories in the face of erasure and to explore the sense of estrangement that many Palestinians, like herself, experience within political, academic, and artistic spaces.
Accessibility:
The space is mobility accessible. This workshop involves needlework and sustained fine motor tasks which some participants may find demanding on the hands and eyes. The workshop facilitator can assist if needed. Please contact us if you have concerns.
*If you are registered for the workshop and can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket or contact us.
