City at Home

The ninth floor of the Bruishuis in Malburgen houses a unique place in Arnhem. Here, every week, more than 140 women of 15 different nationalities who feel isolated in Dutch society, find a safe and secure ‘home’. Dutch-Mexican fashion designer Zyanya Keizer joined the women for three months and worked with them on three designs made of reused textiles, beads and paint.

As diverse as the nationalities are, so are the characters of the women who come to City at Home. This is reflected in the pieces. Some work quickly and in a perfectionist way, while others try and experiment. The stitches tell a lot about the signature. people behind the work; each woman has her own signature.

As Zyanya joined the group weekly for an extended period of time, she became familiar with the women. Whereas initially they were somewhat reluctant to participate, over the weeks Zyanya noticed that more and more women were eager to contribute. Women who didn’t normally talk to each other met around the denim jacket, trench coat and the beads. And by working together, sometimes literally shoulder to shoulder and head to head, on the pieces, Atelier Home thus created a new intimacy and closeness.