LÊLÊLÊ
DEQ KUT XAL
Skin marking by hand is an indigenous tradition practiced in many parts of the world, including the ancient Mesopotamian region.
DEQ/KUT/XAL
is an ancient tattoo practice,
thousands of years old, shared
between various communities
within the Mesopotamian region.
Kurdish people practice skin
marking, commonly referred
to as DEQ, for multiple reasons
like beautification, healing,
protection and identification.
HONORING THE WISDOM OF THE ELDERS
The symbology indicates to a civilisation that read the skies and their environment as intrinsically connected in their understanding
of the law of existence.
In harmony with indigenous traditions they tended to local resources to create needle and ink; using thorns before they transitioned to sewing needles and ashes and milk or other locally sourced ingredients to create ink.
Within just a few generations a thousands of years old tradition almost vanished
and continues to experience erasure. Leaving the generation today with little knowledge,
memories and stories about the tradition and its roots.
Within the recent decade the Kurdish people started actively reviving this practice again
by skin marking, researching, archiving and documenting this tradition,
a practice that connected various people over generations in the Mesopotamian region.
The practice and active cultural preservation of DEQ amidst all erasure naturally creates a global tapestry of a homogenous folk that’s been split amidst heterogeneous borders.
With my work I hope to contribute to this beautiful tapestry, weaving it for the generations after us to be able to remember.
In recent years DEQ is seeing a renaissance as well as evolution from traditional to contemporary skin marking, which translates in style and technical praxis. We are gathering and collecting to make the access and understanding of DEQ more accessible to the community.
Culture is preserved through collective practice,
if your work relates to this, please feel welcome to get in touch via
deq.ttt@gmail.com
deq.ttt
© 2024 by ELU