Creativity as Resistance: Nazanin zaghari-Ratcliffe’s Collaboration with Liberty and the Imperial War Museum
A small, handmade patchwork cushion-a symbol of hope and resilience crafted during six years of arbitrary detention-inspired a powerful new collaboration between Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, London’s Imperial War Museum (IWM), and the iconic British fabric house, Liberty. The project, titled “Creativity in conflict and Confinement,” explores the vital role of artistic expression during times of war, conflict, and incarceration.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who returned to London after her release from Iranian prison in 2022, unveiled the collaboration on Wednesday, notably wearing a dress fashioned from “Passage of Time,” one of three new fabric designs born from the partnership.The fabric itself is a poignant portrayal of her experience, featuring green hues evocative of nature, depictions of white doves in flight, Tehran’s rooftops, the phases of the moon, and the relentless passage of seasons observed through the limited view from her prison cell.
“They can take away the world you live in, but they can’t take away what’s happening in your mind, your inventiveness and your creativity,” Zaghari-Ratcliffe explained. “Holding on to that was how we survived.” This sentiment forms the core of the exhibition, which highlights creativity not merely as a pastime, but as a fundamental act of resistance.
During her imprisonment, Zaghari-Ratcliffe utilized the prison’s single sewing machine to create clothing for her young daughter, a tangible link to the life she was separated from. Liberty fabrics,accumulated over years and occasionally sent to her,were shared with fellow inmates,fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. She also participated in a prison rehabilitation program,learning skills like woodwork and knitting under the guidance of a professional seamstress. “As women, making things and creating things was very important to me,” she said. “You might not have absolute freedom in your movement, but no one can control your imagination.”
The “Creativity in Conflict and Confinement” project draws inspiration from the IWM’s extensive collections, showcasing historical examples of craft used as a means of coping with adversity. One exhibit features a wooden figure crafted in 1919 by a disabled ex-soldier at the Lord Roberts Memorial Workshops, where veterans of the First World War were trained in crafts to aid their recovery and reintegration into society. According to an IWM associate, Prof sir Simon Wessely, “In the face of trauma and confinement, creativity helps restore agency, identity and hope. It has always been a way to process pain and reclaim resilience.”
Liberty’s in-house studio collaborated closely with Zaghari-Ratcliffe to develop the three unique fabrics: “Passage of Time,” “Obscured Landscape,” and “Stitch and Community.” “Obscured Landscape” artfully layers geometric patterns from Liberty’s archive with sketches by British war artist Anthony Gross. “Stitch and Community,” perhaps the most personal of the designs, overlays Liberty florals onto historical documents – private papers from army generals and prisoners held within the IWM collection – symbolizing the powerful bonds of solidarity Zaghari-Ratcliffe experienced with her fellow inmates.
For Liberty, a company with a history dating back to the Second World war, the project represents a return to it’s roots of creativity under pressure. The new designs are prominently displayed as large-scale banners across the Imperial War Museum’s entrance and atrium, and will remain in place until Febuary 2026. A retail range featuring the fabrics-available as scarves, ties, pillowcases, and other accessories in four distinct colorways-is also available both in-store and online. Moreover, 225 meters of the fabric will be donated to fine Cell Work, a charity that provides paid craftwork opportunities to prisoners, supporting their rehabilitation and reintegration.
“These fabrics cover so many elements related to incarceration – the passage of time, hope, resilience – but more than anything else, solidarity,” Zaghari-Ratcliffe emphasized. “You’re collectively enduring this pain and you got through it together.” “Creativity in Conflict and Confinement” is a free exhibition currently on display at the Imperial War Museum, London, and will run through February.
