Lamis.Mawafi

ABOUT
A strip could be a line that curves back on itself, then moves
ahead again... a movement in time, between past, present and
future... the strip could be a road, could be weft crossing warp, it
may get tangled, sometimes strong, and sometimes nearly
breaking under tension. The strip could consist of so many strips.
The strip may be twisted similar to Elizabeth Grosz’s description
“the inside and outside are continuous and one can move from
one space to the other.”
Lamis Mawafi is a Master of Fine Arts graduate from Otago
Polytechnic, Dunedin, New Zealand. Her writing investigates ideas
of immigration, traveling and memory and her art practice
attempts to give material form to these experiences and interests.
After achieving her MFA qualification, Lamis undertook an
ambitious arts and design embroidery project which was
exhibited in public galleries in Wellington and Dunedin,
New Zealand. On the basis of this project, she won the prestigious
Sonja Davies Peace Award for highlighting the plight of
Palestinian women today and introducing their traditional
embroidery to a larger public.
Lamis remains Involved with women’s affairs today. She is
especially concerned with their experiences of family, tradition,
history and migration, and works mainly in the textile arts.

LAMIS S CV
PERSONAL DATA
NAME: Lamis Ali Mawafi
NATIONALITY: Jordanian / New Zealander
ADDRESS: Home (Postal Address): PO Box 2714 Irbid 21110 Jordan
TELEPHONE: +962- 79- 7118877
EMAIL: lmawafi@gmail.com
ACADEMIC DEGREES
2005 - 2007
1995 - 1999
MFA (Masters of Fine Arts)
Dissertation: 16224.69814996km School of Art, Otago
Polytechnic, Dunedin, New Zealand.
BA in Fine Arts - Graphic Design
Faculty of Education and Fine Arts Yarmouk University,
Irbid, Jordan.
AWARDS & EDUCATIONAL FUNDS
2008
2006 & 2007
The Sonja Davies Peace Award New Horizons For
Women Trust (www.newhorizonsforwomentrust.org.nz)
Educational Funding
Otago Polytechnic educational Funding, Dunedin -
New Zealand

REFERENCES
Prof. Dr. Leoni Schmidt
Head of School of Art
Otago Polytechnic
Dudin - New Zealand
leoni@op.ac.nz
Dr. Janset Shawash
Vice Dean of School of Architicture and Built Environment
German Jordanian University
Amman – Jordan
Janset.shawash@gju.edu.jo
Prof. Christine Bernhardt
Head of Communication Design School
RheinMain University of Applied Sciences
Wiesbaden - Germany
Christine.Bernhardt@hs.rm.de
Ahmad Humied
Syntax Digital
Amman - Jordan
Ahmad@syntaxdigital.com

PERSONAL
PROJECTS

16224.69814996 KM
16224.69814996km is the title of this project and it’s the distance between
Jordan and New Zealand, and when I think of this number I don’t only think
of it in geographical terms, I travel this distance, physically, emotionally, and
culturally. And as practical as it may seem as a number, it’s not practical at all
when you travel through it.
I see this number like a strip. And this strip could be a line that curves back on
itself, then moves ahead again…a movement in time, between past, present
and future...the strip could be a road, could be weft crossing warp, It may get
tangled sometimes, sometimes strong, and sometimes nearly breaking under
tension. The strip could consist of so many strips. The strip may be twisted
similar to Elizabeth Grosz’s description “…the inside and outside are
continuous and one can move from one space to the other.”
When I look at my work now, I like that it gives an idea of how I ended up
here, definitely not in a straight line, and often struggling to keep balance.
Through this work I can see all the changes and development of ideas that
happened, my project and I moved alongside in this journey, we traveled
together, we moved between cultures, places, and different landscapes, and
we both changed because of all sorts of new experiences, new knowledge
and understanding. That sometimes I can’t tell whether I’m weaving the
threads or the threads are weaving me.
It is impossible to show distances and to follow travelling traces without
experiencing inner tension between opposites, a tension inherent in the very
nature of the weaving process itself.

A TREASURY OF STITCHES
Sometimes you hear the news... and you know that there’s a war going on...
you find the news unbearable... yet you have to absorb it like a bitter drink...
Sometimes you make yourself believe that tomorrow will be better... although
you know that this will happen again and again...
Sometimes you look so calm while people in Gaza are butchered...
Sometimes you wait for a reaction... you lose patience and curse... you
breathe with difficulty... and are puzzled: why have you not yet died from rage?
Sometimes you have to admit that pain exists... and that you feel worn out...
Sometimes you avoid the news... and you say nothing... and do nothing...
But at other times... you think of the children... of the women... sitting by the
light of an oil lamp... stitching... they let the stitches speak... there’s love for life...
and a desire to be alive...
In their patterns you never see death... but you see a flower, a tree... a sun... a
foreign moon... and birds waiting to return... you see belonging... and you let
yourself be embraced by the stitches... hearing their hidden language... and
you admire these women... and you decide to do something...To stitch...
Embroidery can involve a private, quiet time for some women. But for
Palestinian women, embroidery connects them to their history before the
diaspora and their complex problems since the diaspora. Each motif has a
name which links it with a particular location. In these patterns one can, for
example, see an Olive Branch, the Key of Hebron, the Tiles of Bethlehem, and
the Mountains of Jerusalem. Palestinian embroidery is not only a material
practice, but also a way for the women to connect with their history, to keep
it alive and to speak of their geopolitical loss. Through slow stitching which
involves a contemplative state, they celebrate and grieve... Sometimes they
grieve for absence.

WHAT IS A FENCE ?
A fence is a free-standing structure, which could preclude your freedom.
A fence could be made of wood, metal, or any other material; it could be
made of twisted wires, through which you can see.
A fence could be a wall, made from solid brick or concrete. Such fences do
not only block you from passing, they could also block your vision.
There are also electric fences, which may use lethal electric shocks to make
sure you won›t cross a boundary.
There are movable fences and there are fixed ones.
A fence could be enclosing or it could be dividing.
A fence could be a defense, but, to protect who from whom?
You may not be aware of separation – until you see or become aware of a
fence.
A fence could prevent you from passing, but can›t prevent you from leaving a
trace.
Worst of all are those immaterial fences which you can›t see or touch.

ACADEMIC

’’
I first met Lamis when I was a supervisor for her Masters
project. Lamis embraced many sorts of research both
theoretical and practical art making (especially textiles)
and created a meaningful project which speaks of
confluence between Jordanian and New Zealand cultures.
Lamis›s has many design and art skills and these,
combined with her personality made her a much loved
lecturer at the School of Design. She has the ability to
make her students shine.
- Lynn Taylor
Citizen Sci Art Research Assistant at
University of Otago
’’

GRADUATION
PROJECTS

PUBLIC SCHOOL UNIFORM
STUDENT NAME: Kawthar Alsharif
SUPERVISOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This is the adopted mandatory school uniform policy for all
students. I believe that young people who are safe and
secure, who learn basic values, and the essentials of good
citizenship, are better students.
Many parents, teachers, and school ocials have come to see
school uniforms as one positive and creative way to reduce
discipline problems, prevent future discipline problems from
occurring, and increase school safety.
It has been observed that the adoption of a mandatory
school uniform policy can promote school safety, improve
discipline, and enhance the learning environment.

FUNERAL SERVICES
STUDENT NAME: Serina Dabbah
SUPERVISOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Funeral Home is an entrepreneur business later
expanding to have a company with employees, and will
specialize in direct planning as well as ‘pre-planned’ funerals.
This Project is inspired by the flower of life and its geometric
shape. Everything in the universe is geometric, and can be
measured on a geometric scale, even creation. Everything is
made out of this pattern.
The idea of death is an idea of another life. In the design the
center was taken out to continue its movement on the same
grid representing transition. It’s a metaphor of a
movement that will happen of change continuation; taking
out the center a new movement was initiated.

CONCEPTUAL BAGS
STUDENT NAME: Yasmin Juma’a
SUPERVISOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Goal from this project is to present successful Arab
women, through the different designs, colors, materials and
the structure of the bag that will reflect their personalities,
achievements and way of life as well as reviving an era,
civilization, religious principles, nation, or an artistic style
through personalities used to live in that period. A fashion
accessory piece with valuable meanings that will remind the
audience of great successful stories, that will affect them and
give them the power to prove themselves to themselves, to
their families, to their
societies and to the whole world and the untruthful media.
Carrying one of those bags will affect the person’s
subconscious to be as well successful, powerful, and
self- confident as the women there bags represents.

ILLUSTRATED COMIC
STUDENT NAME: Marah Rajjal
SUPERVISOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
In my graduation project I wanted to create a world that
replicates ours in many ways but still have significant
differences that will challenge the viewer’s belief system and
social normalities.
Through a mainly subjective approach, I researched into
the makings of what is right and wrong, what is normal and
accepted, and the tendency of human beings of wanting to
own everything to showcase my view on life.
In short, Silsila is a story that lights up e a new approach of
Heroism, and to look at life in a different perspective.

HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR
GERMAN YEAR
STUDENT NAME: Zein Akasheh
SUPERVISOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
A guidebook giving advice for students going to Germany,
who have returned and who are still abroad.
For my Guidebook I will have a package with 4 minibooklets
inside defining the phases Before/During (Study
Semester & Internship)/After our German year.
I will be designing the Study Semester in detail, the rest will
have a manual showing how their design criteria should
follow.

UNDER-GRAD
PROJECTS

HEADPIECE DESIGN
COURSE NAME: Fashion Accessories Design
INSTRUCTOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The students were required to create a headpiece inspired
by any artistic era (Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, etc.)
They were asked to study their chosen eras thoruoghly and
take inspiration purely from the architecture of the era they
have chosen.
The materials used also needed to tie in with the feel of that
era, and the headpieces were created from scratch.

WOVEN ACCESSORY
COURSE NAME: Fashion Accessories Design
INSTRUCTOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The students were given the freedom to create any
accessory inspired by any tribe of their choice.
The only condition was that they had to ceate it using the
process of “weaving”. They were asked to study their chosen
tribes thoruoghly and come to a decision of what accessory
they were creating, through the understanding of their
chosen tribes.
Any extra materials used, other than wool for weaving,
needed to tie in with the feel of that tribe, and the
accessories were created from scratch.

UPCYCLED PLASTIC
COURSE NAME: Fashion Accessories Design
INSTRUCTOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The students were given the freedom to create any
accessory that would be useful to them in terms of
organization.
The only condition was that they had to ceate it using only
plastic bags as their main material.
Any extra materials used were minor and were only used to
help connect and tie in the different pieces of plastic
together. For example the threads the students used to
weave the different pieces together.
The accessories were created from scratch.

ISLAMIC PRODUCT
COURSE NAME: Visual Arts in the Islamic Context
INSTRUCTOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
After a full semester of studying the history and arts in the
Islamic context, the students were given the freedom to
create any product inspired by art in the Islamic era.
Using patterns, techniques and concepts from the artistic
perspective of the Islamic era, the students were able to
create pieces that were unique and vastly different.
The only thing that united the pieces was their common
inspiration, the Islamic era / period.
The products were created from scratch.

CALLIGRAPHY BOOKLET
COURSE NAME: Calligraphy and Ornaments
INSTRUCTOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
After teaching the students about arabic type, and arabic
calligraphy, the students were asked to compile all the work
they did throughout the semester into a booklet.
With the last project being to study their names in terms of
anatomy and meaning, and create a calligraphic logo out of
it.
All the course work and the final results were included in the
booklets.

ORNAMENT DESIGN
COURSE NAME: Calligraphy and Ornaments
INSTRUCTOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This project required the students to study the flora and
fauna present in Jordan. Then they had to choose at least
two elements to be inspired by (eg: a flower and a lizard).
Later they had to study their choices in further detail and
use their features and elements to create abstract patterns,
which can later be used as tiles.
The students used the process of laser cutting and then
combined the different pieces of their design in one tile.

LOGO REBRANDING
COURSE NAME: History of Visual Communication Design
INSTRUCTOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The students were given the freedom choose any existing
logo of their choice, and redesign it based on the style of a
historic era (taught in class) of their choice.
They had to keep in mind that the logo still had to be
recognisable, and that the colors can only be changed in
terms of shades that match better with the chosen artistic
era.
Once done, they had to apply the logo to actual products so
they can be envisioned in real life.

POSTER DESIGN
COURSE NAME: History of Visual Communication Design
INSTRUCTOR: Lamis Mawafi
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
After being taught about the 19th century, the students were
asked to choose a recent local event in Amman and design a
poster for that event in the artistic style of the 19 century.
One condition was that they could only use the methods of
painting and printing that were available at that time, so no
digital designs / printers.