As Antigua welcomes the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 026), the 28th biennial summit of the Commonwealth of Nations, taking place from November 1 to 4, 2026, I found myself contemplating the connections and common “threads” between the nations for this project. Each door representing two countries, my assigments: India and Cypress.

Common threads? I would say we are woven. Each country shared experiences and a tradition of textile art through the commonwealth. So my door, highlights the experiences that our visiting nations may experience as well as highlighting their textile tradtions.

India: Banarsi on the Beach
As roots to India myself, (Punjabi in heritage and ancestry), I have long been fascinated by the different textile arts in India with my favourite being the traditional Vanarsi Sari. Elegant and characterized by a handwoven saree originating from the historic city of Varanasi (Banaras) in Uttar Pradesh, India, famous for its fine silk base, opulent gold and silver zari (metallic thread) brocade, and Mughal-inspired floral and foliate motif. In this scene, our Banarsi clad Indian woman enjoys a spectacular sunset in Antigua. The lower half of the door, shows the detail in patterns in gold of the sari extended down.

Cypress: A Day at the Market
A country I knew very little about when I started this project, but found so many similarities with. On this side a women wears the traditional Cypriote dress while perusing the fruit at St. Johns Market. The perfect place to find the gems in produce we enjoy in Antigua. The textile tradition inspiration for this side is the traditional weave pattern from Cyprus known as Fythkiotika (or Phytiothiko), which originates from the mountain village of Fyti in the Paphos region. Unlike lace or embroidery made on a finished fabric, Fythkiotika patterns are intricately woven directly on a traditional wooden floor loom

A labour of love, this door was a journey that took me back to my roots and across the ocean to discover a new country. Available for purchase. Contact me for details at Sonu.Murphy@gmail.com or @SonuMurphy on instagram