LEILA IS A PALESTINIAN TATREEZ ARTIST AND RECENT GRADUATE OF INTERIOR DESIGN BASED IN CANADA (@leilas.gallery). We learn her family’s story of displacement and how growing up in both Arab and Western diasporas shaped her understanding of Palestinian identity. Life in Canada, she explains, made her more intentional about learning, expressing, and sharing her Palestinian heritage.

Her journey with tatreez began at a Toronto Palestinian Film Festival workshop and deepened when her grandmother—herself a tatreez practitioner—taught her the “proper way.” She reflects on how tatreez reconnected her to her roots, helped heal generational disconnection, and strengthened her sense of Palestinian identity despite diaspora insecurities around language or belonging.

Beyond her personal practice, Leila uses tatreez as a bridge for connection and education. She often introduces it to non-Palestinian friends and teaches at public markets, emphasizing the importance of cultural respect and awareness. We hear about powerful encounters at Toronto’s One of a Kind Market—moments of solidarity, racism, and resilience—that reaffirmed her mission to humanize Palestinians through art. 

You’ll hear about:

>> 1:00: Leila’s connection to Palestine & shifts in Palestinian identity

>> 6:23: Her tatreez journey

>> 10:45: Influence of tatreez on her identity and connecting with others

>> 19:07: Conversations with non-Palestinians through tatreez

>> 25:51: What Leila is working on right now

>> 29:01: Major life lessons from tatreez

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