Olive branches carried us home integrates two symbols of Palestinian endurance and identity: the keffiyeh and the olive tree.

The keffiyeh began as a utilitarian object, worn to protect one’s face from sun and dirt while working in the olive groves. Over time, it became a symbol of solidarity in the pursuit of Palestinian liberation. Whether wrapped around the head in the olive grove or worn to shield one’s identity at a protest, the keffiyeh has become a means of protection and shelter. 

In Olive branches carried us home, a seemingly charred keffiyeh rises from the ground, carried toward the sky by a flock of olive branch motifs that have transformed into birds. As they climb, they carry with them imagery from my grandmother’s stories of her life in Palestine. By transforming these stories into ceramic, I give them the power to endure.

Olive trees symbolize Palestinian rootedness, endurance, and belonging to the land. Like ceramic, they are known for their ability to persist through time, weather, and fire.

While Palestinians carry so much weight and darkness due to the trauma inflicted on our people, there is also endless beauty and joy in being Palestinian. The olive branches and charred keffiyeh carry both. Like the flock of olive branches that carry the keffiyeh toward the sky, we are carried by our memories, our stories, and by our solidarity with one another.

They may steal our land, kill our people, and claim our culture, but we will keep picking up the pieces.

We persist, and we will return.

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Instagram: @karinayanesceramics

Website: karinayanesceramics.squarespace.com