I have a keffiyah/kufiyah because my father brought one home from the West Bank in 1990. He was there on a trip with Mennonite Central Committee. It seems like it might have been a simpler time, but he and his travelling partner from the US were interviewed/interrogated (who had they visited? where had they gone?)separately and their stories were compared before they were allowed to leave Israel. He did not give me the keffiyah right away. I think I got it when my parents were moving and there were a lot of items in flux.
I meant to wear it — I am sympathetic to the cause of Palestinians — but I never have. This article spells out the complexities.
That the keffiyah is heavily weighted with meaning makes it perfect for this project.
March Keffiyah
6" x 6" 15cm x 15cm
oil on board
