Handicraft is the language of the soul.
– M. Gandhi

At TUMO Studios, a free educational program for young adults focused on the creation of analog products, the Hand by Hand initiative brings together displaced women from Artsakh. We empower them through their traditional craftsmanship and artisanry.

The women come from fields as varied as biology, accounting, and law. With the technical and organizational support of TUMO Studios, their craft has become both a source of financial stability and a way to find comfort through creativity

In 2023, thousands of people from Artsakh were forced to leave their homes. Along with the loss came the quiet abandonment of traditions that had lived for centuries: carpet weaving, pottery, crochet, and countless other forms of making. But the craft didn’t vanish. It survived in the hands of women who arrived in Armenia with small backpacks and an outsized wealth of skill, memory, and creative instinct.

The first days were marked by uncertainty in every sense: financial, social, and emotional. Yet what mattered most was not only material support. It was the need for attention, for inspiration, for a way to start weaving again. Only then could the story of creativity continue and Artsakh’s culture find new soil to grow in.

TUMO Studios was quick to sense the urgency of the moment and reach out to women from Artsakh who had been displaced. It began with collecting the names and skills of artisans via an open call that invited them to create and sell their work. The idea was to keep Artsakh’s craft traditions alive while offering a tangible source of income. From there, Hand by Hand was born.

Metaksya Avetisyan, a lawyer who joined the initiative, remembers:

“I first turned to craft during the war in Artsakh in the 1990s. I picked up the hook and needles again in 2020, this time to knit hats for soldiers. The last time was after the evacuation in 2023, when I began working with TUMO Studios. My hope is that one day I can separate my craft from the shadow of war.”

You can support Metaksya and the Hand by Hand project as they continue to create and work toward financial stability by visiting this link.

The main focus of Hand by Hand at the moment is crocheting. Its collection is diverse: wool scarves, knitted bags, cozy blankets, cotton totes, coasters, and Christmas ornaments, already beloved by a loyal circle of buyers.

Gayane Margaryan, a biologist and Hand by Hand artisan, has lived through displacement twice. After the 44-day war she left her village of Aknaghbyur in Artsakh for Stepanakert, and in 2023 she resettled in Armenia.

“The energy shared on any platform is something we truly need,” Gayane says. “For people from Artsakh, it’s vital to stay engaged, to feel useful, and to know that they are not forgotten. That sense of being seen is everything.”

At Artsakh State University, Gayane taught biology and spent years studying Artsakh’s plant life alongside her students. Her handmade pieces reflect that eye, rich with botanical motifs.

Gayane’s handmade pieces are available at the TUMO Studios shop at 44 Aram St. and online here.

On June 8, as TUMO Studios marked its eighth anniversary and reopening, 44 Aram Street hosted Hand by Hand’s group installation, Where Is Our Shelter: Woven from Memories and Hope. The work was linked into a single textile that occupied an entire room.

Visitors stepped into it rather than around it, surrounded by audio recordings of the women’s testimonies. The piece follows the arc of losing a home and learning how to find one again.

“What does ‘home’ mean when you are forced to leave it for good? Can the warmth of your hands become the foundation of a new home?” reads the wall text. The clearest answer comes from the displaced women of Artsakh themselves, who, after repeated uprooting and unimaginable strain, found the resolve to create and, through that work, build financial stability.

“I found a kind of peace in craft, and I tried to pass on love and warmth to everyone,” says Ani, a member of Hand by Hand, who considers herself Artsakhtsi (from Artsakh) in spirit and Kapantsi (from Kapan) at heart.

“Every element is handmade, shaped at the crossroads of silence, worry, and the search for home. This textile carries resilience, woven with care and memory,” says Marta Minasyan, who’s responsible for the fashion department at TUMO Studios and curated the installation.

The work of the displaced women of Artsakh proved both moving and unforgettable, drawing crowds of curious visitors. It later traveled to the AGBU FOCUS 2025 forum, where nearly 600 young people from across the globe encountered it firsthand. Up till the end of November the piece will be presented at the Folk Arts Museum as part of the Shape of Manner exhibition.

Born as a complex and selfless initiative, Hand by Hand is now propelling TUMO Studios to look beyond its original scope. The next chapter aims to widen the circle, bringing in vulnerable creators and artisans from across Armenia. This year alone, fifty new makers from different communities are expected to join.

You can support TUMO Studios’ Hand by Hand initiative too. The more pieces are sold, the stronger the chance to grow the program and its impact.

The project works like a chain, each link carefully connected to the next. More orders mean more visibility. More visibility brings more artisans. More artisans lead to more work being made and the beginnings of sustainable businesses. And so the chain continues.

From meaningful single pieces to large corporate gift orders, Hand by Hand welcomes collaborations that support artisans and keep these traditions alive.

Hand by Hand creations can be seen, touched, and purchased at the TUMO Studios shop at 44 Aram Street, on the TUMO Studios website, or through individual orders via the initiative’s Instagram @handbyhand_community. You can also donate to TUMO Studios through this link and help build a thriving community of makers in Armenia while keeping cultural heritage alive.