Karkadeh

About the Project

‘Karkadeh’ (which means hibiscus tea, in Arabic) is a project close to my heart.

Since the war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, I've been exploring ways to bring other people into a support system for my family in Sudan, who were made internally displaced refugees by the war. Karkadeh is my long-term project to support them financially as they rebuild their lives there.

I am collaborating with artists and poets to fundraise by designing & selling limited edition t-shirts via Everpress, that honour the beauty and creativity of my loved ones in Sudan and their community... so that we can direct our resources to support them financially. 

For all involved, I want Karkadeh to feel like the memories I hold of my Haboba (my Sudanese grandmother): robust, full of care, and dreamy.  The project is founded on the values of ease, solidarity, love. So that it can be a sustainable project for all involved, the proceeds from the sale of each t-shirt design are split in the following way: 60% to my family and their community in Sudan, 20% to the artist, 20% towards project running costs.

About the Artists (Autumn & Winter 2025)

After an initial call-out for collaborators this summer, I am delighted to introduce you to the artists who are currently working on t-shirt designs for Karkadeh - please check out their work! Our first artist is Lena Gray - we can't wait to share Lena's design on Everpress when it's ready to launch later in the year. We'll be announcing over on substack when the t-shirts are on sale, so subscribe to the Everyday Writes newsletter for all the Karkadeh news!

 

Lena Gray

 

 

Lena Gray started her artistic journey as a method to explore her own gender. She writes and illustrates a sci-fi comic about caregiving and communal living, called Sacred Void. She also performs as a one woman band, pulling from a range of genres like techno and shoegaze. Currently she resides in small town in southern Appalachia, and her roots are in New Orleans, LA.

 

I love Lena's work for the way it feels like portals into a possible world. My centre feels warmth at the sight of the saturated colours, the beings spilling out of their bounds and towards landscapes of connection. I'm so excited to see Lena's design for this project.

 

To get a sense of Lena's art, check out her works below:

To support Lena's work beyond Karkadeh, check out her website:

lenagrayart.com

 

 

Interested in taking part?

If you are an artist or poet and are interested in collaborating to create a t-shirt design for Karkadeh, please send me an email, I'd love to hear from you.