‘Gaza Genocide Tapestry’ debuts at the National Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Visitors to this year's National Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire have had the opportunity to experience Gaza Genocide Tapestry - a powerful exhibition of images of hand-embroidered tapestries documenting the devastation of Gaza. Presented by Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru (PSC Cymru) and Palestine Museum, it is the first exhibition of its kind to be shown in Wales.

The exhibition features photos of these tapestries, each faithfully recreating a scene from Gaza since October 2023.

The works were embroidered by Palestinian women living in refugee camps and communities across the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan. Using the traditional Palestinian art of tatreez—an embroidery practice that has preserved Palestinian identity and heritage for generations—they have transformed photographs into lasting acts of memory, resilience and witness.

Produced by the Palestine Museum US, the exhibition has already been seen by audiences around the world.

Now, for the first time, the exhibition has come to Wales, bringing its message to one of the nation's largest cultural gatherings. Rather than turning away, visitors are invited to stop, reflect and bear witness to the human stories behind the images. Each stitch represents lives, families and communities that must not be forgotten.

Bethan Sayed, Co-Chair of PSC Cymru, said: "There are moments when words simply are not enough. This exhibition speaks through the work of women who have stitched memory into every panel so that the people of Gaza are not erased or forgotten.

“We are honoured to bring Gaza Genocide Tapestry to the National Eisteddfod, where thousands of people from across Wales have the opportunity to see these extraordinary works. The Eisteddfod celebrates culture, language and identity, and this exhibition reminds us why protecting those things matters. It is an invitation to bear witness, to reflect, and to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people."

Faisal Saleh, Founder and Director of the Palestine Museum, said: "This exhibition was created because the world must not become numb to what is happening in Gaza. Behind every image is a real family, a real home and a real life.

“The women who stitched these panels have transformed grief into art and remembrance. We are deeply grateful that Wales is hosting this exhibition and giving people the opportunity to see these stories with their own eyes. Memory is one of the strongest forms of resistance, and these works ensure that Gaza will not be forgotten."

In what campaigners have described as a watershed moment, the newly elected First Minister of Wales, Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth, and Deputy First Minister, Sioned Williams, publicly stated in speeches at the National Eisteddfod that Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide.

The declaration came at the opening of the Gaza Genocide Tapestry. Together with Palestinian curator Faisal Saleh, the two leaders viewed the exhibition, which documents a devastated Gaza and the resilience of its people.

"We call out the genocide for what it is," said Wales’ First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth.

"Wales was one of the first parliaments to call for a ceasefire. There are lots of people in Wales who share our revulsion at what is happening in Gaza, and as politicians, we give voice to those feelings."

Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams: "It was frustrating in opposition, and now in government, to be told that we do not have a voice in foreign affairs. But we do have a voice to call out the genocide. There are people on the streets of Wales every week demonstrating their revulsion at the actions in Gaza, and we reflect those voices as the government of Wales."

The exhibition will be on display throughout the National Eisteddfod at PSC Cymru's stand (1017–1018).