Chenin (meaning ‘weaving’) is an organisation set up by Kurdish artist, carpet designer and weaver Shorsh Saleh.
Saleh is an experienced carpet maker and designer. He has been teaching carpet weaving at the Prince's School of Traditional Arts, London since 2015. He also teaches private classes from his studio in London. His works have been sold both nationally and internationally to a number of clients including HRH Prince Charles.
The ancient tradition of carpet weaving has largely been lost in Iraqi-Kurdistan as a result of decades of conflict and displacement. Carpet weaving was predominantly done in mountainous areas where people lived in harmony with nature, surrounded by all the materials necessary for weaving, wool and plants for natural dyes. Prior to the conflict most houses had a loom for weaving.
Between 1960- 1990, almost five thousand towns and villages in the mountainous area of Iraqi- Kurdistan were destroyed as a consequence of the repeated conflicts between the Iraqi regime and Kurdish guerrillas and the Iran- Iraq war.
The people from these mountainous areas were repeatedly forcibly displaced from their homes to urban camps and cities. This meant that looms and livestock were left behind. Without access to the necessary materials people became disconnected with the skills and traditions of carpet weaving.
In addition, globalisation and industrialisation have meant that machine made carpets and synthetic dyes have provided a cheaper and less labour intensive method of producing carpets. Local traditional designs were have also been replaced by modern imagery.
ڕێكخراوی چنین له‌لایه‌ن هونه‌رمه‌ند و دیزاینه‌ری فه‌رش شۆڕش ساڵح ه‌وه دامه‌زراوه له به‌ریتانیا.
شۆڕش شاره‌زاییه‌كی زۆری هه‌یه له بواری چنین و دیزاینی فه‌رشدا، له ٢٠١٥ وه له قوتانخانه‌ی شازاده بۆ هونه‌ری ترادسیۆن له له‌نده‌ن، كۆرسی فێربونی چنینی فه‌رش و به‌ڕه ده‌ڵێته‌وه. كاره‌كانی له‌ناوخۆ و ده‌ره‌وه‌ی به‌ریتانیا فرۆشراوون له ناویاندا شازاده چارلزی به‌ریتانیا.
فه‌رش و به‌ڕه به‌شێكی گرنگ و دانه‌بڕاوی كه‌ڵتوری نه‌ته‌وه‌و كۆمه‌ڵگاكانی ڕۆژهه‌ڵاتی ناوه‌ڕاسته، كه كورد به‌شێكی گرنگی ئه‌و ناوچه‌یه پێكده‌هێنێت. ئه‌وه‌ی جێگای نیگه‌رانیه كوردستانی باشوور به‌هۆی ئه‌و جه‌نگه و پێكدادانه به‌رده‌وامانه‌ی كه له ناوچه‌كه‌یاندا ڕویداوه بوه‌ته هۆكارێكی سه‌ره‌كی بۆ كزبوون و له‌ناوچوونی ئه‌و هونه‌ره میللیه. ته‌نها له نێوان ساڵانی ١٩٦٠كان بۆ ٩٠ده‌كان نزیكه‌ی ٥ هه‌زار گوند و شارۆچكه له‌لایه‌ن ده‌وڵه‌ته‌كانی عێراقه‌وه وێران كران و خه‌ڵكه‌كه ڕاگوێزرا بۆ شار و كه‌مپه‌كان . ئه‌م ڕاگوزانه زۆره‌ملێیه وای كرد له دانیشتوانی ئه‌و ناوچانه هه‌م له سه‌رچاوه سروشته‌كه‌ی خۆیان داببڕێن و هه‌م ده‌ستیان نه‌گاته ئه‌و پێداویستیانه‌ی كه پێوویستن بۆ چنین، وه‌ك خوری ، پێداویستیه‌كانی خومكردن ، هتد، كه ئه‌مه‌ش دواجار بوه هۆی دروستبوونی بۆشایه‌كی گه‌وره له نێوان نه‌وه‌ی كۆن كه شاره‌زا بوون له بواری چنیندا له‌گه‌ڵ نه‌وه‌ی تازه .