BEIRUT — On Wednesday, July 19, 2023 the Haigazian University (HU) Arthur Matossian Gallery exhibited the handwoven kilims of 35 students from different Lebanese Armenian schools. The exhibit was attended by the students and some parents, schoolteachers and principals.
The kilims were the product of a nine-day-long “Weave Your Own Kilim” workshop held at HU organized by the Student Life Office in collaboration with the Hovhannes Sharambeyan Folk Arts Museum in Armenia.
Between July 5 and 18, students from the Armenian Evangelical and United Armenian Colleges, Armenian Evangelical Shamlian-Tatigian, Armenian Evangelical Central High, Armenian Catholic Holy Cross, Armenian General Benevolent Union, and Vahan Tekeyan schools participated in the workshop, where they not only learned the skills of weaving kilims, but actually wove and then exhibited their work.
During the nine three-hour sessions the students wove more than one kilim. Some even started their third kilim, others made their own designs and chose the colors of the Armenia-made wool, while others started to weave their own names. The weaving process continued after the sessions too, as the students excitedly took their unfinished work to their homes.
In addition to the morning student sessions a five-session-long weaving workshop was organized in the afternoons where 13 adults participated. Some of their kilims were also exhibited.
All in all, 75 kilims produced during the workshop were exhibited.
