Imagination and creativity are your greatest defenses—they cannot be taken away, even in the bleakest circumstances. And this is the part most people overlook...Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s powerful story of resilience through craft during her six years of arbitrary captivity in Iran demonstrates how art can serve as a vital act of resistance. When she finally returned home to London, she carried with her not just memories but a small handmade patchwork cushion. Crafted from scrap fabrics using a single makeshift sewing machine at the prison, this humble item originated from a communal craft group and held profound significance for her.
"It’s incredibly precious to me," she shared, emphasizing the deep emotional value of that piece. Her creative spirit didn't stop there—recently, she collaborated with the fabric department of Liberty and the Imperial War Museum (IWM) in London to produce a collection of three distinctive textile designs inspired by her experience as a prisoner. This collaboration, dubbed "Creativity in Conflict and Confinement," launched with great significance. She attended the project’s debut wearing a dress she had just sewn the week prior, made from fabric called Passage of Time. This fabric features a pattern of nature’s cycle—white doves soaring, Tehran’s rooftops, the moon shifting phases, and the changing seasons—all glimpsed through tiny cracks in her prison cell.
Her story echoes a powerful message: even when external liberties are stripped away, the mind’s imagination and creative pursuits remain untouchable. "When I was in prison, we believed that they could take away everything—the world outside our minds, our reality—but our thoughts and our ability to dream were beyond their reach. Clinging to that was how we endured," she explains.
Her heartfelt participation in this project fills her with pride. It emphasizes her core belief: that creativity can serve as a form of resilience, especially during times of hardship. The exhibition at the IWM showcases this idea through a series of innovative designs crafted in collaboration with Liberty’s in-house studio, each reflecting themes drawn from her incarceration. These pieces are intertwined with her personal journey and serve as a testament to the enduring human spirit.
During her imprisonment, Zaghari-Ratcliffe sewed clothes for her young daughter using the only available sewing machine, turning a simple act into a symbol of hope. Before her time in detention, she was already familiar with Liberty fabrics, having accumulated quite a collection over the years, some of which she was able to have shipped to her in prison. She would share her fabric pieces with fellow inmates and learned various craft skills—woodworking, knitting—through a rehabilitation programme led by a professional seamstress, reinforcing the importance of making and creating as a way to preserve dignity and mental strength.
"As women, making things is incredibly vital—it doesn't matter if your movements are limited; no one can take away your creativity," she reflects. Her work and stories draw from the IWM’s collection, where artifacts reveal how craft has historically been a means for those in difficult circumstances to retain their dignity and hope. For instance, an exhibit features a wooden figure created in 1919 by a disabled soldier, crafted at the Lord Roberts Memorial Workshops, which helped wounded WWI veterans regain a sense of purpose through art.
According to Prof Sir Simon Wessely, an IWM associate, the connection between craft and resilience is well established: "In moments of trauma and captivity, creative activities help restore a sense of control, identity, and hope. They serve as a means to process pain and reclaim resilience." The collaboration resulted in three new fabrics—"Passage of Time," "Obscured Landscape," and "Stitch and Community"—each capturing different aspects of Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s experience. For example, Obscured Landscape overlays geometric patterns from Liberty’s archives with sketches by acclaimed British war artist Anthony Gross, while Stitch and Community combines Liberty floral motifs with personal letters from prisoners and military figures, symbolizing solidarity and shared strength.
This project also marks a nostalgic return for Liberty, which played a significant role during wartime when it kept its doors open and supported creative efforts under pressure. The vibrant new designs are now displayed on large banners at the museum’s entrance and will remain through February 2026. They are also featured in a retail collection, including scarves, ties, pillowcases, and other accessories, with each fabric offered in four different color schemes. Additionally, 225 meters of fabric will be donated to Fine Cell Work, a charity dedicated to supporting incarcerated individuals through paid craft opportunities that foster dignity and aid rehabilitation.
"These fabrics embody many aspects of confinement—time passing, hope, resilience, but above all, solidarity," says Zaghari-Ratcliffe. "They remind us that even in the darkest moments, we are not alone; we endure together and emerge stronger."
What do you think? Can creative expression truly serve as a form of resistance and resilience in the face of adversity? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments—do you agree or see this differently?
