OSJ & Afghanistan’s First All-Female Orchestra

Brief: Create a poster that commemorates the Orchestra of St. John’s (OSJ) efforts of bringing the Afghanistan’s First All-Female Orchestra to Oxford for a series of concerts.

Strategy: A handwoven wool rug is an iconic symbol of Afghan culture, often used as a stage to perform. They say, “when you look at an Afghan rug, you can see its soul”. Traditionally, weavers used to conceal themselves and messages within their design, and during wartime, ‘war rugs’ were produced. With a great canvas to tell a story, I designed a traditional handwoven rug, incorporating the apparatus of war depicting the Orchestra’s incredible journey from hardship to musical harmony.

Designed at Williams Murray Hamm.