MEHRIA'S KITCHEN STORE

Mehria, 23, lives with her 5 sisters and 4 brothers in Chitral.  She is currently teaching at the local madrassa in Chitral. She enjoys embroidery and is interested in developing her design skills. 

Her panel depicts a traditional Chitrali kitchen store, where women keep all their domestic utensils, cooking pots, etc…

‘I used to sneak in with my best friend Kausar and steal biscuits and sweeties from the store as a child.  During Eid celebrations, we were given boxes of mithai (traditional sweets) from our relatives, which my mother would place in the store. We keep everyday kitchen items and use this space for jugs, teapots, mugs, lanterns, glasses and steel boxes that store rice and flour. 

The store is made of mud. It stays cool in the summer and warm during the winter.  I also wash the dishes and make chapatti there during the winter, as it protects me from the bitter weather.

During the summer my eldest sister and myself will get up at the crack of dawn, clean the store, and then we make Lassi (a fermented yogurt drink) for my brothers and entire family. Everyone in my family loves drinking Lassi.’

Experience of the workshops 

 ‘At first I was really scared because I am not an artist and have never done anything like this before but with the help and encouragement from Adil and the group, I have grown in confidence. 

My cousins helped me a lot and motivated me. The workshops have given me a different perspective to my life and how I see things around me. 

The highlights of the workshops for me were making new friends and learning drawing… My dream is to have my own business one day and travel to meet different people from all over the world. 

 When the tweed was given to me, I was really excited to use this cloth; the colours are beautiful and the textures are lovely.  I have enjoyed the embroidery and have been excited to see my artwork on tweed.’

Shop  →