This project shares the journey to the source of the carpets that make up a tent. This tent is a safe place for stories of women who craft. Takhamt means shelter in Tamazight, mother tongue of Moroccan nomads. As a craftsperson myself, exploring embodied crafts, I fell in love with Moroccan carpets after my first work period in Marrakesh in 2023. (Umbilical Gates)

When acquiring a piece of handcraft you connect to the world of a woman. Sometimes an isolated woman bound to the home, regulated by tribal traditions, sometimes a woman in a collective called a 'women coorporative', working from home or in a shared atelier. This often means that a man sells the work done by women to a price that suits him, without giving the craftswoman all the benefits she deserves. Whenever I asked how come the price of the carpet is not fixed while women receive a fixed amount when they deliver their work, the man answered that this is the culture.

My doubts about gender roles in the financial system in the carpet industy held me back from buying a carpet. I wondered how the culture works and what it really means when only men do the trading to support the needs of women at home. In search of a way to buy a carpet directly from a craftswoman herself, this library is a result of collecting stories behind the carpets. The story of Fatiha for example shows her own approach to the market, against all odds.

Nearly all of Les Mamans Douees (Gifted Mothers) say that handcrafting helped them to become financial independent at a time and an age when they they were forced to discontinue their education and missed out on skills of reading and writing. These are the skills they learned at Dar Bellarj (House of Storks), the place we met to craft their own book to share their wisdom.

When entering Takhamt, textile books made by Les Mamans Douees can be read by hand. On headsets interviews play with Les Mamans Douees and with the craftswomen of the carpets. The digital library can be consulted on the tablet.

This project is a collaboration with Malika Eloualy. Takhamt was first developed in a residency at LE18 supported by the Dutch Embassy in Morocco with a cultural grant for female empowerment. Takhamt is shown in the exhibtion 'Archeologies' at Dar Bellarj, Marrakesh, Febuary 2026 - December 2027.