For the second successive year, garden-themed tapestries from the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre in Egypt will be on display at the San Diego Botanic Garden. Egyptian artists vividly celebrate the flowers of the desert, their villages, and Nile River in their work, which can be seen January 8 – March 31, 2018 from 9 AM – 5 PM.
These tapestries are the legacy of an “experiment in creativity” begun in 1952 by leading Egyptian architect Ramses Wissa Wassef. He was convinced that everyone is born with artistic gifts, but that these develop only through practicing a craft from early childhood. To test his theory, Wissa Wassef installed looms in a workshop in the village of Harrania, six miles from Cairo, and invited village children to learn to weave. Since Ramses’ death in 1974, his widow Sophie and daughters Suzanne and Yoanna have expanded the experiment. Over the years, several generations of children have now mastered weaving.
Fifteen wool tapestries and twenty cotton weavings will be on display at the Garden. This educational and artistic display also includes wall signs, books, and a short documentary presenting the making of the tapestries and the aspirations of founder Ramses Wissa Wassef.
Please visit the San Diego Botanic Garden website to view some of the tapestries on display.