Diaspora and textile: A/r/tographic reflections of memory-based narratives of Iranian migrants in Turkey through the lens of scheherazade

This study examines how shared migration narratives are reflected on textile surfaces from the perspective of Iranian migrants living in Turkey, exploring the imprints of migration on identity, belonging, and collective memory through an arts-based (a/r/tographic) research approach. The research focuses on artistic productions that make visible the experiences of Iranian migrants through their own words and modes of expression. In this context, the figure of Scheherazade, holding a significant place in Iran's cultural memory, is approached as a bridge between body, voice, and narrative; the participants' personal statements and memory traces are brought to the stage through fabric, embroidery, and bodily performance. In this way, the study follows the emotional and cultural reflections of migration, extending from individual experiences to collective memory, through a body-centered narrative process grounded in collaborative production. The research employs the a/r/tographic method, positioned at the intersection of the artist, researcher, and educator identities. The study group consists of seven Iranian migrant artists living in Turkey, and based on the participants' migration experiences, embroidered textile pieces, dance-inspired body figures, and a collaborative performance-based video work were produced. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, artistic interaction sessions, and co-created visual productions, and were integrated around the axes of identity and memory through thematic analysis. Following the identification of these themes, the researcher analyzed the conceptual keywords through their formal counterparts in Persian, establishing rhizomatic connections among the terms and transforming these forms into a visual narrative language in which embroidery and bodily performance operate together. Within this framework, the study enables memory and affect to transform into a collective narrative space, offering a practical approach to rendering migration experiences visible through tactile and embodied forms of expression.