Jan 28, 2018

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.

While designing jewelry, Abu Ghattas thought about doing something related to the olive tree, which she sees as a symbol of the city of Bethlehem. She started working on designs based on the shape of the olive leaf. Then she started using leaves from the trees that surround her home.