"Flowers and Threads" was an exhibition in Dhaka, Bangladesh, of work by and about garment workers. The work was shown at the EMK Center for Public Service and the Arts.
There were 22 "shaplas" (the national flower of Bangladesh), suspended from the ceiling; each had four "petals" drawn by garment workers in Bangladesh, and four by garment workers in Canada and other interested groups. The Bangladesh petals were facilitated by Leah Houston of Mabelle Arts; the Canadian petal-making was facilitated by Robin Pacific.
Second, there were 16 text panels created by Robin Pacific, of quotes by Bangladesh garment workers, with Bengali transcriptions by Nasreen Khan.
Finally, there were ten photographic portraits of Bangladesh garment workers by Clare Samuel.
About fifty garment workers attended the opening reception on November 16.
All photographs by Mumit Mahbub.