Weaver of Heritage, Guardian of Culture…
Altaf Salem Al Ali Al Sabah has dedicated her life and work to supporting the cultural heritage of Kuwait and the region. Enamored by textiles’ colors and textures from a young age, her path has led her throughout the world to gain a deeper understanding of artisans and their creative expression.
She is the author of two books, Kuwait Traditions: Creative Expressions of a Culture (2001) and Ibjad: Ornate Tent Dividers and Weavings of the Kuwait Desert (2006).
Altaf Salem Al Sabah, Kuwait 2018. Design by Sarah Beydoun, 2019.
It was a natural fit to complete a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology, followed by a master’s degree in social anthropology at the American University in Beirut (AUB). Upon her return to Kuwait from AUB, she joined Kuwait University as a lecturer (1977-1992) and co-founded the AlSadu Project for the preservation of Bedouin weaving (1978-1990).
Altaf Al Sabah found the experience of preserving and honoring her country’s heritage to be enriching and enlivening, and went on to create the AlSadu Weaving Cooperative Society (1991). The AlSadu Society empowers weavers’ and artisans’ roles in Kuwaiti society, working not only to preserve Sadu for generations to come, but also to assure its development as a contemporary art form, to be taught in official government school curriculums.
As a passionate collector of traditional textiles, she dedicated her private collection to her late grandmother, Sheikha Lulwa Al Sabah. The Al Lulwa Collection was documented with the guidance of the Victoria & Albert Museum, and a book titled Decorative Textiles from Arab and Islamic Cultures by Jennifer Wearden, highlighting different pieces from the collection was published in 2016.
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