The Needle Fable

Embroidery artist & ethnomusicologist Prof. Feyzan Goher stitches together the colours of Anatolia, the rhythms of ancient instruments, and the myths of musician-goddesses from every corner of the Silk Road. Explore works where each fibre carries a melody and every motif revives a forgotten sound-world.

Embroidery of a woman in traditional dress playing a string instrument, surrounded by blue patterns and floral motifs with gold accents.
Close-up of embroidered fabric featuring a white swan, a hand holding a staff, and a green hand adorned with red beads, and a peach-colored ribbon bow.

Embroidery

From mythic musician-goddesses to contemporary cultural motifs, Prof. Feyzan Goher’s embroidery frames weave scholarship and storytelling into richly layered textiles. Each piece invites viewers to see how colour, stitch, and narrative intersect across time and tradition.

A woman holding a decorative harp in front of a bookshelf filled with colorful books. professor
A decorative harp-shaped mirror with tribal patterns, hanging on a wall in a room decorated with musical instruments and artwork.

Ethnographic Instrument Collection

A curated glimpse of around 200 folk instruments Prof. Goher has gathered during decades of fieldwork—lutes, flutes, drums, and more—offering a first look at the material culture that underpins her research on Turkic and Silk-Road music.

Embroidery Portfolio ·
Musicians Goddesses in Silk

Step into a tapestry of colour and sound. Prof. Feyzan Goher’s signature embroideries re-imagine goddesses of music—from Anatolia to Meso-america—layering silks, metallic threads, and bead-work to make ancient melodies visible.

Woman sitting on a sofa, embroidering with a hoop while a tabby cat sits next to her. The room has framed artwork, a lamp, and decorative items on a wooden side table and wall.
Close-up of cross-stitch embroidery depicting elephants and the word "Ladakh" on fabric with sewing needle and red thread.
Embroidered and beaded artwork of a woman with colorful headwrap, jewelry, and closed eyes.

Behind Every Stitch: The Making Journey

Each embroidery begins with careful study of the traces a goddess left behind—lines pressed into clay, a carved figure, a painted shard, or even a fragment of song. These hints turn, step by step, into pencil sketches and clear outlines, then into hours of silk-and-metal stitching until the story glows on fabric. Visit our studio section to follow the full journey and see how research, drawing, and patient craft bring forgotten legends back to life.

Embroidery artwork of a person with a rainbow-colored head, black face, green attire with gold embellishments, and a yellow garment.
Embroidery of a colorful bird perched on a branch amid flowers.
Embroidery of a woman in traditional attire playing a stringed instrument, surrounded by floral patterns and a decorative star-shaped border.
Hand holding an artificial red flower with green leaves and black-tipped stamen.
Embroidery of a scene with figures playing musical instruments, dancing, and socializing, surrounded by embroidered green leaves.
A hand holding a small bouquet of artificial flowers, including a red butterfly, purple lilac, pink ribbon flower, yellow daffodil, and blue cornflower.
Embroidery of a woman wearing traditional attire with a headpiece, jewelry, and a horse, featuring colorful thread and bead details.
Embroidery artwork depicting a woman with long hair and a headdress, holding a makeshift drum or shield, with a wolf howling nearby and flames below. The design combines stitched and fabric elements with blue and gray tones.
Embroidery of a flower with purple, pink, and red blossoms, blue and red accents, and green leaves on white fabric.
A harp with wooden design and decorative carvings in a room with musical instruments on the wall and a framed painting of a musical instrument.
An artistic, handmade model of a face with colorful fabric strips hanging from it, set against a dark background with a spotlight shining on it.
A decorated saguaro cactus-shaped object with black line drawings depicting a stylized landscape scene, including a face, animals, people, trees, and celestial bodies on a tan background, surrounded by colorful ribbons.
Several handcrafted and traditional items, including carved wooden masks, a carved wooden bowl, and a clay sculpture, are displayed on a wooden table.
Embroidery of a woman dressed in traditional attire, sitting on a crescent moon, holding a long pipe, with ribbons and small decorative beads scattered around.

Contact

Planning an exhibition, lecture, or research partnership?

Prof. Feyzan Goher is open to proposals from galleries, museums, festivals, and universities.

Tell us a little about your project and we’ll respond within two business days.