PROJECTS: Untangling Threads

UNTANGLING THREADS: Female Artisans in Morocco's Rug Weaving Industry 

In Morocco, where men are responsible for almost all of their country’s artisanal production, women have maintained the age-old craft of indigenous weaving.  

This project seeks to document the environment and culture of female weavers who have recently begun to participate in local and global markets. It specifically focuses on artisans from three rural weaving communities: Ain Leuh, Ait Hamza, and Taznakht. 

While the carpets are generally sold for high-dollar amounts, the female artisans have traditionally received a very small percentage of the profits. This has perpetuated the cycle of poverty and child labor in rural Morocco. 

The weaving cooperatives documented in this project are now self-promoting and making direct sales rather than relying on middlemen to distribute their carpets. These photographs aim to highlight the faces behind the production and the market forces that bring these products to the world.