Salha Eli was born and bred in Kobani. When the city was invaded by ISIS she like hundreds of thousands of people fled the city to neighboring Turkey.
When the city was liberated with the assistance of the allies and the Kurdish forces people returned to the ruined Kobani but never gave up and started rebuilding a new life.
Salha Eli together with her family rebuilt their lives. From a young age she was interested in crocheting and embroidery, she also loves to collect antiques such as handmade items, old kitchen ware and traditional handmade Kurdish rugs.
“lately due to boredom I have been interested in other hand making items, such sewing my own clothes, crocheting, embroidery and whatever handmade things you can think of. I even do all the embroidery on my traditional Kurdish clothes.”
“I have also created an interest in collecting antiques such as traditional handmade rugs, kitchen copper wear and a stone grain grinder.”
Ms Eli has had this collection of items for a few decades and recently she vacated one spacious room in her house and displayed all the items she’s collected.
“After collecting all the items I made a special room in my house to display them. Friends would visit me and admire what I have collected and would tell me I should have a public exhibition because people would be interested in seeing these interesting things.”
She opened her small exhibition and by word of mouth and social media people went to see what was on display.
“One day a local journalist came over to my house and saw my collection, she encouraged me to make the exhibition and told me she’d do a report on it. I was surprised by the people’s interest in the exhibition.”
There has never been an exhibition of this sort, at least a solo one. This is the first one as far as Ms Eli is concerned.
“I don’t remember hearing or seeing an exhibition such as mine, I have collected everything myself. Crocheted and embroidery items are all my work. All the embroidery on my clothes is made by me."
