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WOOLWOMAN – Reviving Palestinian Wool Craftsmanship with Sustainable Home Furniture Designs

Woolwoman is an established Palestinian brand that takes pride in providing unique home furniture designs, all handmade and handwoven with organically handspun wool. Our products result from collaborating with women in the marginalized areas of the Occupied Palestinian territories, aiming to revive traditional craft practices and generate local economies.

At Woolwoman, we believe in rethinking wool’s traditional materiality and exploring modern design applications in the Arab region. Our furniture pieces are meticulously woven with original patterns inspired by the rich heritage of Palestinian rugs and motifs, ensuring durability and strength. What makes our products even more special is that they are woven with 100% organic hand-spun wool and dyed using natural pigments.

The Making Process

Throughout manufacturing, we prioritize environmental friendliness, making our items sustainable from start to finish. Our journey begins with carefully selecting wool from indigenous sheep in Palestine, specifically the mountainous Saharan sheep. The wool-making process is meticulously planned, as sheep are only grazed once a year during spring. To prevent the wool from being discarded or burned, we collaborate with shepherds to ensure its preservation. Once gathered, the wool is cleaned using water and soap and then dried under the warm sun. Skilled women then take over, spinning and rolling the wool according to Woolwoman’s specifications.

A short video by the artist and filmmaker Abdulla Mutan. https://youtu.be/Rmco-M0TC2A?si=HP-EXMAb8bB4xIhr

Overcoming Hardships

Living under Israeli occupation, we are continuously facing hardship on a daily basis, from the occupation imposed by Israel. Israeli Herders Spread Across West Bank, Displacing Palestinians from their land and their sheep. Palestinian herding communities are abandoning their villages, ceding huge swaths of land to nearby Israeli settlers, and executing the sheperd in the processes..

However, Woolwoman’s mission goes beyond these conditions and strive to team up with Palestinian women in the marginalized West Bank areas who were once professionals at spinning and weaving but had left the craft for more than 30 years. By reviving this craft, we aim to not only preserve our tangible heritage but also resist the hardships imposed upon us by the Israeli occupation.

An art video created by the artist- In the autumn of 2020 MacGuffin teamed up with Disarming Design from Palestine, filmmaker Alexandre Humbert and emerging Palestinian designers Rawan Bazbazat, Khalid Ladadweh, Dalal Odeh and Lara Salous to investigate the production and use of rugs in Palestine. The resulting series of short movies is a poignant ‘unweaving’ of the rug and its personal stories, taking place under the surface of mainstream narratives. Lost crafts, barbed wire and poisoned sheep: the movies portray not so much the presence but the absence of the rug in the occupied territories, underlining the complexities and modern-day realities of the Palestinian diaspora. disarmingdesign.com/

Stand with The Palestinian Women

When you choose to interact with Woolwoman, you become a part of this powerful movement. Your support and appreciation for our craftsmanship act as a bridge, connecting us to the Palestinian women who have dedicated their skills to revive this craft. By enriching and supporting the lives of these oppressed women, you have joined us in advocating for the rightful and legal support of all Palestinians. Together, we work towards restoring dignity and pride to Palestinian women while reclaiming an original craft that has been unjustly seized by others.

Join Our Community

At Woolwoman, we invite you to explore our collection of sustainable home furniture designs, each piece intricately woven with history, resilience, and hope. By choosing our products, you not only bring a touch of Palestinian culture into your home but also contribute to the empowerment of marginalized communities and the preservation of a craft that is deeply rooted in our identity. Join us on this journey of resistance and revival. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of Palestinians against the Israeli occupation and stand in solidarity with their pursuit of dignity and pride.

About the Founder

Ms. Lara Salous is a young Palestinian woman who started off as an artist, drawing landscapes and portraits. She progressed to become a talented architect and Interior designer and furniture researcher. She finally became the one person who gathered all these artistic capabilities together: Woolwoman – is the business of blending different worlds of art, including wool interiors, interior design, locally handmade furniture, and carpentry.

Ms. Salous spent years researching the wool industry and the textile fibre obtained from sheep and goats. Also, in interviewing and learning from the Palestinian Bedouin women from different areas of the southern marginalized spots of the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Jerusalem, Jericho and Hebron, and exploring the art of weaving, living the history and immersing in being one of the oldest crafts in history, which was started by Canaanites thousands of years ago. The Palestinian-inherited craft of spinning and weaving lasted tremendously and flourished in making various textiles locally and regionally. The craft had suddenly fallen after the catastrophic incidents of 1948 when the Israeli occupation forced Palestinians exodus from their lands and homes. Many professional weavers and toolmakers were forced to leave to settle in different territories of occupied Palestine. 

Woolwoman is not just a business; it is a symbol of revival for an artistic craft that we left for 76 years ago. One Woman can make a difference but together we can create interiors closer to our traditions, heart and nature!.

An interview of the artist’s artwork (what remains) at Alqattan Foundation

https://fb.watch/pt6gEUsTQB/

Woolwoman is not just one woman, but a community of artisans (shepherds, women wool makers, interior designers, architects, carpenters), working together in harmony to present to you products and services…

Lara Salous
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