Palestinian artist turns olive leaves into silver jewels
Nadia Abu Ghattas turned her handicraft hobby into a profession that reflects her love of olive trees.
Palestinian artist Nadia Abu Ghattas has been turning olive leaves into silver-plated rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings since 2005.
For her, the olive tree is a symbol of the Palestinians’ resilience and their attachment to the land. Just like olive trees, the Palestinian people can survive under difficult conditions.
Abu Ghattas, who lives in Beit Jala, northwest of Bethlehem in Palestine, descends from a family of stone engravers. Growing up in a house surrounded by olive trees, she learned to appreciate the land and trees. From an early age, she noticed that she was good with handicrafts. She worked with fabrics, glass and mosaics to recreate the images of nature around her. Her first attempt at jewelry making was trying to silver plate a plastic button to use as a necklace.
“Ever since childhood, I have been interested in crafts. But I lacked the knowledge to craft the designs I wanted,” she told Al-Monitor. So Abu Ghattas attended a jewelry workshop at Al-Kahf Arts and Crafts Center at the International Center of Bethlehem. She then participated in another workshop that taught her more jewelry-making techniques.
