embroidered panel

proverb

boson

In frames: Rohingya wit

EMB0175

Sharing boson (proverbs) to hand down cultural wisdom from one generation to the next is in fabric of Rohingya culture. As CMC Rohingya women artisans themselves suggested the idea to illustrate proverbs with their needlecraft, artist-in-residence Farzana Urmi and art facilitator Saleha Akter Urmi led this project playing with challenges of translating the richness of oral culture to embroidery art. Rohingyalish (a simplified Rohingya script using Latin alphabets) used in the artwork lets you experience the sound of the boson while appreciating the evocative yet naïve drawings from the Rohingya artisans of the camp. Áñti zurai faile, hañsi ká zurai nofaitti. Literal translation: If you could buy an elephant, why could not you buy a rope to bind it? Meaning: Sometimes you overlook small but important matters while dealing with the bigger issue at hand.