The Story of Khamak Dozi
This video documents khamak embroidery, a traditional craft practiced in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Khamak is a detailed whitework embroidery created using geometric satin stitches on fine cotton or linen cloth. It was historically used to decorate floor-length shawls for men and burqas (head coverings) for women.
Most Pashtun women learn khamak embroidery at a young age from their mothers and grandmothers. For many, this is their primary form of education. They act as caregivers during the day and embroider at night. The process is laborious, and completing a shawl can take several months.
Songs about khamak are commonly sung by both men and women. At weddings, older women perform these songs – called Mesrai (hemistich) – accompanied by tambourines.
This exhibit looks at the story of the craft that is made up of time, matter and motivation.
It particularly revisits the relationship between the tools, the material and motivations, the land, and the hand that makes the craft. The aim is to preserve the local practice embedded in landscape and leverage it for sustainable economic development of craft communities.