When I met Saadia Jradi a few years ago, she was frail, hesitant but already so special! Years later, her work refines and her style is chiselled. Portrait by Amel DJAIT
“My thunderbolt for embroidery began with a silver jewel,” el tmayem “. The symbol of this jewel was also in Berber embroidery. So I started to paint it with thread, threads, silk, silver, wool … ” Saadia recalls. And so the story of the young native Gabes artisan began.
If the fish – “la houta” – is her favorite motif, the young woman works on other motifs inspired by tapestry, mergoum, tattoo … Refined and conceptualized, simplified and modernized, she applies different symbols to bags, Pockets, scarves, cushions and even with the furniture recently.
Ambitious, Saadia Jradi aspires to internationalize: “For me, every article is a story. In fact, I look for myself and find myself through my creations. My art is a therapy! “
In the midst of Tunisian craftsmanship, competition is tough, embryonic creativity and copying wreaks havoc. This forces artistic artists to push their limits, to look for new lines, inspirations, references and universes.
Saadia Jradi thinks “the counter-way is really embarrassing. I believe that the true creative is full of ideas, always looking for new ideas … “. For her, there is no doubt that Tunisian craftsmanship is evolving, but it is politics that is still blocking the whole process of its development, modernization, export, and so on.
In her studio, Saadia Jradi works hard. It is part of this new generation of craftsmen who are advancing local production. Admirer of the work of “Wire of Art” by Nadia Gribaa https://www.facebook.com/fil.dart.10/,
Saadia particularly likes the work of Fantar and Kerkenatis ( https://www.facebook.com/Kerkenatiss-Artisanat-174396792613376/ ).
She believes that she is one of those artisans who are doing fine work and carrying the colors of Tunisia higher.
Photos Credit : Saadi Jradi.
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