Joumana Medlej
@majnouna.com
Artist-scholar, specialised in early Arabic (Kufi) scripts & historical/natural materials. Interest in material culture & things real. Beirut émigré in Oxford. Earth lover, plastic-free. Contemplative. Whovian/Gallifrey…
Links: https://linktr.ee/Majnouna
Links: https://linktr.ee/Majnouna
Project in progress with all those dyed threads (of which I will need many more).
November 27, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Project in progress with all those dyed threads (of which I will need many more).
November 27, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Would you believe this lustrous and surprisingly rich purple was the result? I'm still gobsmacked.
Lightfast? Probably not, but who cares...
Lightfast? Probably not, but who cares...
November 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Would you believe this lustrous and surprisingly rich purple was the result? I'm still gobsmacked.
Lightfast? Probably not, but who cares...
Lightfast? Probably not, but who cares...
When the leaves started falling they revealed clusters of berries! I identified them as a type of Virginia creepers (genus Parthenocissus), and naturally I had to gather some and boil them up. Then I popped in a skein of silk and left it to soak a couple of days.
November 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
When the leaves started falling they revealed clusters of berries! I identified them as a type of Virginia creepers (genus Parthenocissus), and naturally I had to gather some and boil them up. Then I popped in a skein of silk and left it to soak a couple of days.
Every year I admire this beautiful autumnal creeper on @trinityoxford.bsky.social's Broad Street facade, but this year I discovered it held a surprise, or even two.
A short 🧵
A short 🧵
November 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Every year I admire this beautiful autumnal creeper on @trinityoxford.bsky.social's Broad Street facade, but this year I discovered it held a surprise, or even two.
A short 🧵
A short 🧵
A young artist friend visited today and I taught her laking. All three of these come from sappanwood.
November 23, 2025 at 8:55 PM
A young artist friend visited today and I taught her laking. All three of these come from sappanwood.
Now back to dealing with this 😑
November 22, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Now back to dealing with this 😑
Ahhh 😌 Absolute unit!
November 22, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Ahhh 😌 Absolute unit!
I’ve been sidetracked for a while but it’s time to bind this thing!
November 22, 2025 at 3:11 PM
I’ve been sidetracked for a while but it’s time to bind this thing!
A wobbly one-handed video (I was filling the feeder with the other) of my morning appointment with the robin.
November 17, 2025 at 10:16 AM
A wobbly one-handed video (I was filling the feeder with the other) of my morning appointment with the robin.
Very random question, but does anyone with a knowledge of fashion/dress history/vintage recognise this style? I wouldn't even know what to call it.
November 15, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Very random question, but does anyone with a knowledge of fashion/dress history/vintage recognise this style? I wouldn't even know what to call it.
Good grief. These Chinese "let's appeal to westerners" brand names are really... something.
November 15, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Good grief. These Chinese "let's appeal to westerners" brand names are really... something.
All done and on its way to the collector who commissioned it, this large-scale version of one of my mini studies, looking splendid in morning light:
Veils of Mourning III – Life Undefeated
Indigo- and lac-dyed silk threads on indigo-dyed paper, 10x30in.
#artoftheday
Veils of Mourning III – Life Undefeated
Indigo- and lac-dyed silk threads on indigo-dyed paper, 10x30in.
#artoftheday
November 15, 2025 at 9:39 AM
All done and on its way to the collector who commissioned it, this large-scale version of one of my mini studies, looking splendid in morning light:
Veils of Mourning III – Life Undefeated
Indigo- and lac-dyed silk threads on indigo-dyed paper, 10x30in.
#artoftheday
Veils of Mourning III – Life Undefeated
Indigo- and lac-dyed silk threads on indigo-dyed paper, 10x30in.
#artoftheday
"If you want [the ink to be] yellow add to it powdered yellow arsenic* and stir with your finger" 😱😱😱
Do NOT try this at home 😰
*Orpiment
Do NOT try this at home 😰
*Orpiment
November 14, 2025 at 10:03 AM
"If you want [the ink to be] yellow add to it powdered yellow arsenic* and stir with your finger" 😱😱😱
Do NOT try this at home 😰
*Orpiment
Do NOT try this at home 😰
*Orpiment
I'm £10 away from the finish line 🥳 Who's going to be the one to tip me over?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/maj...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/maj...
November 13, 2025 at 8:51 PM
I'm £10 away from the finish line 🥳 Who's going to be the one to tip me over?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/maj...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/maj...
This MS I'm transcribing has such quirky spelling it's a gigantic FU to LLMs:
حبر is spelled جبر
على is علي
علي is على
في and من are written the same
ي or و are used instead of ء
ماء is spelled مآ
ذ and ز are identical… and that's just the everyday words.
A masterclass in locking out the unbrained.
حبر is spelled جبر
على is علي
علي is على
في and من are written the same
ي or و are used instead of ء
ماء is spelled مآ
ذ and ز are identical… and that's just the everyday words.
A masterclass in locking out the unbrained.
November 12, 2025 at 11:30 AM
This MS I'm transcribing has such quirky spelling it's a gigantic FU to LLMs:
حبر is spelled جبر
على is علي
علي is على
في and من are written the same
ي or و are used instead of ء
ماء is spelled مآ
ذ and ز are identical… and that's just the everyday words.
A masterclass in locking out the unbrained.
حبر is spelled جبر
على is علي
علي is على
في and من are written the same
ي or و are used instead of ء
ماء is spelled مآ
ذ and ز are identical… and that's just the everyday words.
A masterclass in locking out the unbrained.
Good morning, my book is 90% funded and I'm already working on the material 😄 I posted the first update yesterday discussing these manuscript sources in detail.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/maj...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/maj...
November 12, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Good morning, my book is 90% funded and I'm already working on the material 😄 I posted the first update yesterday discussing these manuscript sources in detail.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/maj...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/maj...
Guess who got a badge!
November 10, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Guess who got a badge!
I made myself an intarsia organizer from a shoe box and it makes it vastly less daunting (also I don’t need to make little bobbins and waste thread)
November 6, 2025 at 1:40 PM
I made myself an intarsia organizer from a shoe box and it makes it vastly less daunting (also I don’t need to make little bobbins and waste thread)
Not a particularly important bit, but where's "Computer, enhance" when you really need it?
ان something نسخه 😝
ان something نسخه 😝
November 6, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Not a particularly important bit, but where's "Computer, enhance" when you really need it?
ان something نسخه 😝
ان something نسخه 😝
I don’t know what the occasion is but this sure brings back memories! ❤️
November 5, 2025 at 1:28 PM
I don’t know what the occasion is but this sure brings back memories! ❤️