Maha Al-Daya in The National: "Textile Gaza maps bear pain of war for artist exiled in Paris"

For decades, Maha Al Daya was known in Gaza as a master embroiderer of traditional dresses, a vibrant tribute to Palestinian identity brought out at times of celebration.

But after fleeing the Gaza war, Ms Al Daya, 49, traded dresses for painted rubble and embroidered maps documenting the enclave's destruction. Gone are the flower motifs. Now, her work depicts ruins and displacement.

“Something changed inside me,” Ms Al Daya said. “I now only work on the pain and suffering I saw in Gaza.”