Photo: Hadar Saifan
Odelia Elhanani’s work “The Secret in the Scent,” is a monumental tapestry whose creation lasted several months. The embroidered image brings together J.F. Millet’s painting 19th-century painting The Gleaners and photographs of Indian women laundering clothing. Elhanani invited an additional group – composed of local Bedouin women – to participate in the process. These women are all participants in an unusual project called “Desert Embroidery” in the Bedouin town Lakiya located in the south of Israel. This project, initiated by Bedouin women, enables members of this social sector to work as paid employees, while preserving a traditional craft. Elhanani divided the work among the embroiderers, thus ensuring that each part of the tapestry would bear the unique handprint of the woman who created it. In this manner, the tapestry embodies not only the common denominator shared by all women, but also their distinct identities. By combining embroidered images and the theme of laundering with a contemporary female craft, Elhanani forges a connection among women from different periods and cultures, shedding light on their world.