Mervette Jacaman
"High-End Stained Glass Sun Catchers"

Mervette was born in 1970. She is married and has 4 children. She joined the ICB workshops in March 2004 as a student in the stained glass and glass fusing course.

Mervette makes small seasonal sun catchers for Christmas and Easter, and some functional items such as business card boxes and pen holders.

Mervette draws inspiration for her designs from the need of the market, and she uses both recycled flat window glass and colorful bottles. Thus her products are varied and colorful. She aims to create her own designs in order to market and sell them locally and internationally through the al-Kahf gift shop and website.

Helva Hanouneh
"Handmade Stained Glass Sun Catchers and Lampshades"

Helva was the first to become a member at our workshops. She joined us in October 1998 as a student in the stained glass course. Helva was born in 1962. She is married and has two children.

Helva is best known for her stained glass angel that is made out of broken colored bottles. It is being sold and spread all over the world.

In addition to the small sun-catchers, Helva is very interested in making lamp shades. She produces stained glass and fused glass lamp shades with different styles and colors. 

Helva is featured in a video clip made by Austrian news agency ORF.  The video is in German, but it tells the story of Helva and her stained glass angels.  Look for "Pastor Mit Perspektiven" on religion.orf.at.

Laurice Matar

”This is my home; not coming here is like not breathing,” says Laurice Matar about the workshops at the International Center in Bethlehem (ICB) and Dar al Kalima College (DAK), where she has spent a lot of time during the last seven years.

Laurice is a Christian and among the youngest of six sisters and brothers. Her father is a carpenter and as such had to struggle hard to feed the large family. She comes from Beit Jala, the town next to Bethlehem, where she attended a governmental school while growing up. Laurice then studied at Bethlehem University and graduated with a BA in Sociology and psychology. She found a job at Life Gate, an institution for physically handicapped youth which gives them a handicraft education and production for marketing abroad. She liked this job, and in order to learn different kinds of handicrafts she took several courses at the ICB. In 2006, Dar al Kalima College opened and Laurice was one of the first students in glass and ceramics. On the very day of her graduation she got an order from the Presbyterian Church to make 100 glass crosses. She was very happy for that opportunity, which is also a very welcomed income.

Now Laurice is looking forward to learn more about design, something she feels that she needs to make progress for her work here.

Laurice was featured in a video clip produced by Reuters.  The video is in Arabic, but it shows Laurice working from her home. 

Sawsan Rishmawi
"Handmade Stained Glass Ornaments"

Sawsan was born in 1963. She is married and has four children. She received her high school certificate and started working in art as a hobby. She joined the ICB workshops in November 2002, as a student in the glass fusing and stained glass course.

Sawsan specializes in making stained glass ornaments and candle holders. She creates her designs and shapes by using recycled glass bottles and other materials.
In addition to her stained glass products, Sawsan also produces olive leaf jewelry cast in sterling silver. Sawsan seeks to create artistic and unique pieces that are appreciated and liked by her customers.

Heba Khawaja

Heba was born in 1982 and is the youngest member of the ICB workshops. She is single and a university student. Art and reading are her main hobbies.

She joined the ICB workshop as a student in the stained and fused glass course. In her work she uses glass in making art pieces like angels, crosses, and candle holders.

She aims to use art as a practical application of her creative ability .

Faten Nastas 

Faten Nastas was born in Beit Jala, Palestine, in 1975. Nastas received her BFA from the Bezalel Academy for Fine Art & Design in Jerusalem in 1998, where she was trained in producing contemporary art works. She became well known as an installation artist who utilizes both "ready-made" and "hand-made" objects. Her art work has been exhibited in Japan, Germany, USA, and throughout the Middle East. Her art isn't intended to be politically straight-forward; her concerns are with the social, emotional, and psychological aspects of life that derive from the politically polarized environment in which Palestinians live.

In addition to her contemporary art works, Faten Nastas is an expert of handicraft & design; especially in glass, ceramics, and jewelry. She has been working in the field of arts & crafts since her graduation in 1998; she attended various courses, and she has supervised many workshops. Besides this, she designs and produces some unique pieces in ceramic, glass, silver jewelry, mosaic and textile works.
Currently, she is the Chairperson of the Arts and Crafts Department at Dar al-Kalima College in Bethlehem.

Nadia Abu Ghattas
"Professional Handmade Silver Jewelry "

Nadia was born in 1959. She received her diploma in secretarial work, but joined the ICB workshops in March 2005 in a silver casting course.

Nadia draws inspiration for her designs from the wild nature of Palestine. She bases her products on sterling silver casts of original natural leaves (such as olive and oak leaves), then she adds some colors by the use of special stones. Nadia produces a variety of products, including pendants, rings, bracelets, earrings, and brooches. Each product is unique as it is always finished by hand.

Nadia wishes to expand her talent and improve the professional quality of her work, so as to become a well-known artist and have her products branded and sold locally and internationally.

Nadira Araj

Nadira Araj is an art hobbyist who loves making installation artwork, particularly if it incorporates objects found in the surrounding environment.  The International Center of Bethlehem provided her with the opportunity to acquire some art skills that she didn’t get in her formal education, and opened for her the windows to bring her talents out and participate in group exhibits locally and internationally.  

The skill of silver casting, and particularly the casting of olive leaves, that she learned at the ICB inspired her to do a full silver jewelry collection based on the olive leaf motif. She named the collection “Peace Next to your Heart”.  Part of this collection is displayed in this catalog under the code ndra.

Faten Neirukh
"Professional Ceramic Products"

Faten Neirukh has a B.A. degree in agricultural engineering. She is married and has 3 children. In August 1999, she joined the ICB workshops as a student in the ceramic course.

Faten makes ceramics by using hand shaping and electric pottery wheel techniques. She adds her special touch by carving the pottery pieces and painting on them geometrical designs that are inspired from the wild nature of Palestine. Faten uses non-toxic glazes.

Faten's aim is to show the beauty of Palestinian nature and to highlight Palestinian heritage and art.

Inaam Mitwasi
"High-End Quality Ceramic Products"

Inaam was born in 1956, and is married with four children. She joined the ICB workshops in July 2004 as a student in a pottery course. In addition to her craft, Inaam writes poetry and short stories.

Inaam shapes her pottery by hand and sometimes she uses molds. She draws her designs' inspiration from Palestinian nature, such as wheat leaves and olive branches, and also Islamic geometric patterns. All her products are hand painted using harmonious, soft and clear color combinations, and are prepared using a non-toxic glazes.

Inaam’s aim is to keep developing her craft and to reach a professional level.

Eyad Mussa
"Hand Crafted Silver Jewelry"

Eyad was born in 1979. He got his high school degree in the Za'tara village school. He joined the ICB workshops in October 2005 as one of the students in the handmade jewelry course.

Eyad is very talented in making hand-crafted jewelry. He has mastered sawing, drilling, soldering and stone-setting. He works with sterling silver (925).

Eyad aims to preserve the Palestinian heritage of jewelry-making. He focuses on geometric designs and likes to use colorful stones and glass beads.

Samaher Romi
"Hand-Formed and Carved Ceramic Products"

Samaher was born in 1978. She is married and has two children. She received her diploma in crafts with a specialization in ceramics. She has been a member of the ICB’s al-Kahf Arts & Crafts workshops since 2001.

Samaher has a special spontaneous touch. None of her pieces are identical because she shapes and carves each one manually and freely. Besides, Samaher uses mixture of colors and non-toxic glazes. Thus, each of her products is a unique one.

As a way to revive and preserve the Palestinian culture and heritage, Samaher decorates her products by carving scenes of Palestinian villages, houses, animals and plants.

Fawzy Nastas

Fawzy Nastas is a well-known Palestinian artist. He was born and raised in Bethlehem. After school, he traveled to Italy for 8 years, where he received his PhD in sculpture from Brera Art Academy, Milan Italy. After his graduation, Mr. Nastas came back home to Palestine, where he established his own studio in Bethlehem and worked as an art teacher in different institutions, among them Bethlehem University.

Mr. Nastas has produced many important national and international art works, monuments and even decorative works, and has joined very important exhibitions locally and internationally. Nevertheless, he always mentions that his talent is inherited it from his father and grandfathers. Mr. Nastas started his career as an assistant to his father who was renovating and carving new capitals for the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

In August 2008, he participated in the sixth international sculpture symposium “Arte In Strada” organized and hosted at the Municipality of Temů, Italy, where he won the first prize for the sculpture he created.

Nowadays, he dedicates all his time to his private work in his studio.