The magazine of the photo-essay
April 2017 back issue
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
by Randi Malkin Steinberger
Italian artist, Alighiero Boetti, travelled to Afghanistan between 1971 and 1979,
opening the ‘One Hotel’ in Kabul. From here, he worked with local craftspeople
making embroideries and rugs.
More than 30 years after his death, there is a growing appreciation of his work.
Steinberger’s book Boetti by Afghan People documents the people behind the making
of Boetti’s Arazzi (embroidered works).
Birds on Wires #2, Peshawar City Market, 1990.
Saddar Road in Peshawar. This was the de facto production office in town for Boetti.
Young girl and grandmother at work in a refugee camp outside of Peshawar.
Partially complete Mappa work.
At work on a Mappa at home in the camp.
The main room of a family’s home in the camp, covered in thread boxes, as the women embroider and the children
play in the corner.
Holding a Mappa up for inspection in the production office in town.
Removing a protective cloth from a completed work coming in from the
camp.
Mother and child.
Working outside in the camp.
Folding a completed Tutto piece.
Collecting the completed embroidered works to bring from the camp back to the office in town.
