ARTISTS

ANA GALINDO is a Toronto-based designer. Her work experience spans over 30 years, from working for the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City to teaching textile design in the U.S.A. and Canada. Her professional areas of expertise relate to graphic design, repeat-pattern design (both analogue and digital) and embroidery.

ASMAA TOULIMAT came to Canada from Syria in 2016. She learned embroidery in grade 6 from her mother and her sister Souher, and after that through online videos.

FARHAN is an expert embroiderer who works with both hook-needle and regular needle techniques and  likes to develop textural stitches.

GANAELE LANGLOIS is a textile researcher and practitioner. Her book How Textile Communicates: from Codes to Cosmotechnics (Bloomsbury) is coming out in January 2024. She researches how handmade textile work builds local and transnational communities, and the importance of traditional textile techniques to build sustainable environments. 

IMRAN SHEHZAD has worked as a professional embroiderer since he was in his teens. He was trained by a family member in traditional embroidery skills and has worked in the field for over 20 years. He supports his family with his highly skilled work.

MUHAMMED NAHEED has worked as an embroidery artisan since the age of 9, and supports his family through his skills. His expertise includes many 3-D embroidery techniques, as well as the hooked chain stitch.

MUNIRA AMIN is a product designer and cofounder with Rachel Machenry of Handwork Studio. She is inspired by local crafts and cultures and is interested in sustaining traditional methods of making and collaborating with artisans. She has worked with artisan communities for most of her professional career and has been involved in initiatives around the world including providing design consultation, product development, technical and market-readiness support, and training to a variety of artisan-focused enterprises including government trade facilitation offices, UNESCO, artisan organizations, international development institutions, importers, design companies and brands in Pakistan, Canada, Peru, Chile, India and the UAE.

RACHEL MACHENRY is a designer, researcher and educator and a partner with Munira Amin in Handwork Studio. She has extensive international experience developing  textiles and craft objects in collaboration with artisan communities in Nepal, India, Pakistan, Peru and elsewhere for both public- and private-sector clients, including international projects for the Government of Canada and UNESCO. Her design work focuses on inclusive and sustainable practices and community-focused design and has been shown and sold internationally as well as being included in several museum collections.

RIZWAN has been embroidering since a young age, and currently supports his family with his work. He is skilled in chikenkari (white-on-white embroidery) as well as a wide range of specialized dimensional stitches.

SOUHER TOULAYMAT was a science teacher until she left Syria for Canada in 2002. She learned simple embroidery stitches from her mother when she was a young child, and has continued learning and developing new embroidery techniques since then.

TAHIR HUSSAIN SHAH supports his family through his work as a professional embroiderer and is known for his abilities in aar work (traditional hook stitches), as well as a wide variety of other textural and dimensional stitches. 

URFA BUTT came to Canada from Pakistan in 2000. She learned embroidery as a teenager from her mother and later from online videos. She enjoys embroidering shawls and clothing.

ZOHRA SHAKEEL is originally from Pakistan and came to Canada in 2007. She learned embroidery as a young child from her mother.