Photo: Creatively Directed by Marwa Atik in collaboration for VELA X KweenKaraza
“Qawiyah”: the Arabic word for “a woman who embodies strength” is scripted in bold, bubble-gum-pink letters with an emerald-green shadow in the centre of a fuchsia-toned silk scarf that flaunts intricately-illustrated vines topped with floral and pomegranate motifs. The scarf is one of the first designs to sell out from the collaboration between Kween Karaza and Vela Scarves, which launched on October 10, bringing the Chicago artist’s distinctive touch to a medium that’s both wearable an accessible – while stocks last, that is.
Photo: Creatively Directed by Marwa Atik in collaboration for VELA X KweenKaraza
And judging by her track record, that won’t be very long. I should know – for the past year I’ve had something of an Instagram girl crush on Kween Karaza, whose overall aesthetic is one that I would gladly dress my whole house in. In fact, hers is the only Instagram account I have notifications turned on for, so that I never miss a post. Still, I’ve never managed to get my hands on one of her highly-coveted creations – carpets, cushions, lampshades, vases and vessels brought to life with vivid and vibrant hand-painted Arabic calligraphy. For almost as soon as a new piece is posted, it sells out instantaneously, eternalized on Instagram in a colorful portfolio of painted masterpieces that are a fusion of contemporary culture.
Some are monochrome, while others are a lively marriage of bright pigments and floral patterns. Words like “love” and verses from poets like Nizar Qabbani are emblazoned in Arabic amid romantic backgrounds on the sculptural, statement pieces.
Photo: Creatively Directed by Marwa Atik in collaboration for VELA X KweenKaraza
Eliza Karazah – the artist of Irish and Levantine heritage behind the Kween Karaza moniker – says that each piece she creates is entirely hand-painted and one-of-a-kind. “I’ve been painting since before I can remember and never stopped. I can’t really navigate print or getting people to copy what I do, so I just doodle on my own stuff directly,” she tells Vogue Arabia, adding that she is content being a one-woman brand. “Slow art is truly the only way to make it, unless you want to work with people. I don’t like working with people. I like making my pieces at home and then sending them out myself with as little interaction as possible,” she explains.
Instagram, says Karazah, has been instrumental in building brand awareness, generating hype and helping her posts go viral. “I was an art teacher before switching to full-time creator,” she reveals. “It was either post online, or subject my students to my little doodles forever.” Her collaboration with Vela was born out of a DM from the US-based headscarves brand. “It was really wild, and I was super nervous because I don’t have the most pious reputation and Vela is about embracing modesty. I’m not modest,” says Karaza. “But they were here for my work, not my religiosity and they were truly the best collaborators I’ve ever had.”
Kween Karaza and Marwa Atik. Photo: Creatively Directed by Marwa Atik in collaboration for VELA X KweenKaraza
Vela co-founder and creative director Marwa Atik co-designed the collection with Karaza, and directed the shoot, which was a nod to their respective Syrian and Levantine cultures, and an explosion of kaleidoscopic calligraphy.
“We wanted to embrace the idea of feminine strength and self,” says Karaza. “In art, Arabic is mostly reserved to religious contexts. The Ayat Al Kursis at the doors, the Bismillahs in the kitchens. And that’s beautiful and I have all that in my home as well, but I want my pieces to be less sacred. I want them to be on the floors, touched whenever, wherever. Arabic is not just for holy truths, but for swearing and flirting.”
Photo: Creatively Directed by Marwa Atik in collaboration for VELA X KweenKaraza
“I’m a love poem and occasional Sufi scribble kind of gal,” continues Karazah, who experimented with the idea of divine inspiration for her collaboration with Vela. “I’ve always felt a connection with Rabia Al Basri’s Sufi poetry because it isn’t harsh or judgmental. It’s her expression of love; not fear. So we used lines from her work about finding love in the divine to find love with herself. And that could be about Allah, or that could be just about finding purpose around you.”
Al Basri’s famous saying, “I came to know love the moment I found your love” is scrawled in whimsical script across sand-toned scarves – a muted alternative to the brightly-hued green, blue and pink designs in the collaboration. A hoodie and sweatpants set stamped with “Qawiyah” is also included in the range, bringing the characteristics of the collaboration’s empowered, spiritual, culturally in-tune and multifaceted muse full circle.
Photo: Creatively Directed by Marwa Atik in collaboration for VELA X KweenKaraza
Photo: Creatively Directed by Marwa Atik in collaboration for VELA X KweenKaraza
The Vela X Kween Karaza collaboration is available at velascarves.com while stock lasts.
