MoMu x Common Threads Press Talk: Threads of Influence – The Power of Craft and Textiles Today

In conjunction with the exhibition Embroidering Palestine, MoMu and Common Threads Press join forces for a conversation on the power of craft and textiles today.

This panel will bring together curators, artists and writers to explore how craft and textile practices shape contemporary creativity. From heritage traditions to material innovations, we’ll aim to unpick the social, political and aesthetic force of textiles in today’s craft landscape.

Joining the discussion are Dr. Ferren Gipson, a British-American art historian, artist, and cultural storyteller whose work explores material culture, politics, and identity, and Aya Haidar, a Lebanese-British textile artist whose practice examines language, labour, displacement, and memory through culturally embedded objects.

The conversation will be moderated by Laura Moseley, founder of Common Threads Press, and will conclude with a Q&A session. Before and after the talk, visitors are welcome to explore the exhibition.

Founded in 2019 by Laura Moseley, Common Threads Press is an independent publisher dedicated to craft histories. Working closely with academics and artists worldwide, it champions overlooked cultural narratives and draws inspiration from grassroots publishing traditions that amplify marginalized voices and highlight the political and cultural relevance of craft.

Laura Moseley is the Curator of the Women’s Art Collection and founder of Common Threads Press. She specializes in historical and contemporary craft practices and has collaborated with arts and cultural organizations, including the Association for Art History, the Royal School of Needlework, and Norwich Castle Museum. Her work explores intersections of art, craft, community, and activism, and she regularly gives talks and develops projects on visual art and craft.

Dr. Ferren Gipson is a British-American art historian, artist, and cultural storyteller whose work explores how images and objects shape meaning in society. She is an award-winning author, host of the Object podcast, and a “40 under 40” honoree by Apollo Magazine. Her research spans modernity, material culture, politics, and identity, while her textile practice explores spirituality, ancestry, and matrilineal legacies.

Aya Haidar is a Lebanese-British textile artist based in London whose work explores language, labour, displacement, domesticity, womanhood, and memory, with a focus on Middle Eastern histories embedded in culturally specific objects. A Slade School of Fine Art graduate with an MSc from the LSE, she has exhibited internationally, including at the V&A, Tate, and Frieze, and her work is held in major collections such as the Guggenheim and the V&A.