Madirisha Mia Moja

Madirisha Mia Moja ("One Hundred Windows") is a limited-edition artist book documenting handcrafted window grill designs found throughout Stone Town, Zanzibar. Developed from a photographic archive collected during six months living in Zanzibar between 2022 and 2023, the project explores how everyday architectural details function as both protection and ornament while carrying memory, craft, and cultural meaning through the built environment.

The publication features 100 photographs selected from the larger archive and is produced through risograph printing at Common Area Maintenance in Seattle. Each book is hand-assembled with exposed metal ring binding and laser-cut covers fabricated in wood and aluminum, emphasizing the relationship between the documented architectural forms and the object itself. The first edition consisted of 16 handmade copies and sold out at the 2026 Seattle Art Book Fair.

While rooted in the architectural history of Stone Town, the window grill designs reveal visual connections that extend across cultures and geographies. Through repeated patterns, materials, and motifs, the work considers how built environments become repositories of collective memory and identity. The project invites viewers to look more closely at the details embedded within everyday spaces and to reflect on the stories carried through ordinary forms of design.

Development of Madirisha Mia Moja was supported by a 2026 4Culture Project Grant. The project was also recognized through selection as a 2026 Page Turner Fellow at the Seattle Art Book Fair, supporting the production and presentation of the publication to broader audiences.