During the Talking Mats workshop in Lamu, September 2024, master plaiter Bahati Hassan Ruli from Ozi, Lamu county, explains to eager academics and museum staff where and how the raw material mkindu (wild date palm) is harvested, dried, and dyed before plaiting it into mikeka with elaborate patterns. Macho ya kazi, literally translated as “eyes of work”, refers to the “letters and intricate patterns” that are plaited into mats and other woven artifacts.
Image credits: Najeeb Ahmad Nassir Juma Bhalo, Jasmin Mahazi, Bahati Hassan Ruli
Video production and image credits: Najeeb Ahmad Nassir Juma Bhalo
Video editing: Rebeca Ofek