Stitched Up: Belarusian Political Prisoners Highlighted Through Traditional Embroidery
An art initiative is reminding the world of the political prisoners held in Belarus through traditional cross-stitch embroidery.
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Inside this display in a Prague exhibition hall, the plight of political prisoners in Belarus is being highlighted in an art form usually associated with traditional Slavic clothing.
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The exhibit, titled Framed In Belarus, uses cross-stitch embroidery to profile those arrested amid the police crackdown that followed Belarus's disputed 2020 presidential election. The work is part of the Matter of Art Biennale in Prague's National Gallery.
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Rufina Bazlova (pictured) is the Czech-based Belarusian artist behind the project, which she began with art historian Sofia Tocar.
Framed In Belarus is a compilation of 681 embroideries stitched by volunteers from around the world who followed designs created by Bazlova.
Framed In Belarus is a compilation of 681 embroideries stitched by volunteers from around the world who followed designs created by Bazlova.
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Each artwork highlights an individual prisoner.
This cross-stitch illustrates the case of Minsk woman Anastasia Kukhta who ran a hairdressing business until her arrest and imprisonment in 2022 after taking part in anti-government protests. She is serving a five-year sentence for charges that include association with an "extremist formation."
This cross-stitch illustrates the case of Minsk woman Anastasia Kukhta who ran a hairdressing business until her arrest and imprisonment in 2022 after taking part in anti-government protests. She is serving a five-year sentence for charges that include association with an "extremist formation."
