Framed in Belarus / Solidarity stitching / (Inter)national stitching solidarity / Са свету па нітцы. Międzypokoleniowe warsztaty dla młodzieży i dorosłych towarzyszące wystawie When The Sun Is Low - The Shadows Are Long.

Stitchit (Rufina Bazlova & Sofia Tocar) and Collective

Stitchit is an art group created in 2021 by visual artist Rufina Bazlova and curator Sofia Tocar, who joined forces to work on momentous socio-political issues through a traditional embroidery technique as a tool of resistance and dialogue. Stitchit brings different communities and individuals on board in the creative process, eclipsing authorship boundaries.

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Today, the number of officially recognised political prisoners in Belarus exceeds 1,200.

The #FramedinBelarus project has been designed to tell the story of each wrongfully convicted Belarus citizen and create his/her portrait using traditional Belarusian red-on-white embroidery, recording an important stage in Belarusian history through folk code ornamentation as a result.

Embroidery is a time-consuming and meditative experience, conducive to the embroiderer focusing on thoughts and feelings for a particular inmate. Time is taken away from an imprisoned person – and time remains our trifling sacrifice when working on a political prisoner’s portrait.

Wall hangings offer a brief account of detention history, the prisoner’s name and case reference featured at the top. The project itself is akin to social action in nature. The artist uploads embroidery patterns to her website, encouraging others to join the project. All new participants are given embroidery instructions, the address of the prison where the portrayed person is being held, and information regarding websites facilitating inmate assistance. Embroidered images show prison walls shedding stones, ostensibly a harbinger of hope. Considering the overall context of the project, one might well conclude that taking joint action is a key factor to freedom.

The project’s ultimate outcome will be a collectively made quilt featuring all embroidered portraits – a tangible symbol of the interlock between political developments and human destiny.
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The workshop delivered by Belarussian artist Rufina Bazlova addresses anyone expressing solidarity with Belarus, interested in traditional embroidery, and willing to join the new social art Framed in Belarus project with a focus on political prisoners. The Framed in Belarus art project has been designed to tell the story of each wrongfully convicted Belarus citizen, create his/her portrait using traditional Belarusian red-on-white embroidery, and describe an important stage in Belarusian history through (inter)national folk artwork.

During the workshop, participants will learn more about the concept and terms of the project, and view pieces embroidered by participants from other countries. The workshop curriculum includes basic cross-stitching skills, Rufina offering a crash course in getting started with embroidery.