Shomjida; [Author]

Arakanor fara

Embroidery (EMB)

Art

Decorative

Shomsida drew her father’s house in Manna village of Buthidaung township, Myanmar. While drawing this, she recalled memories of eating aragula (ambarella) and spending time with her elder sister and younger brother. ‘I miss the warmth of Arakan sunlight on cold days. Winter is my favorite season.’

‘Fara’ is the Rohingya word for village or a collection of households, which may include many households from the same ‘gushti’ or extended family. In Arakonor Fara, a mixed-media embroidery and printing-making project, the embroidery artists recollected memories of their fara: the fruit trees, fish ponds, friends and villagers who filled in the contours of their worlds. Some of the embroidery artisans were old neighbors, tracing their friendships back to the same fara, while others became new friends through working together in the camp.