Artist Profiles

For generations, women in the rural southeastern province of Errachidia, Morocco, have made exquisite textiles. Today, sisters Fatima and Khira Ouaderrou maintain and expand upon this tradition with their boucherouite carpets. Boucherouite refers to a rugs specific to the region, which are knotted from recycled fabric. The knowledge of this intricate process was passed down to the Ouderrou sisters by their mother, and now the sisters are masters of the craft in their own right.

Historically, rugs from this area were constructed with sheep’s wool, and typically featured designs of broad rows of alternating color. As desertification and economic tensions entered southeastern Morocco in the latter part of the 20th century, its artisans got creative and resourceful. The desire to continue making and selling textiles merged with practical necessity, and thus began the incorporation of discarded or otherwise unneeded fabric.

The Ouaderrou sisters embrace the environmentally friendly use of upcycled fabrics, adding flavor and depth to ancient styles, and showcasing a wealth of color. Their work includes not only ornately configured rugs, but wearable items like shawls and scarves, as well. Thanks in part to their palette of recycled materials, no two of their textiles will ever be exactly the same!