Our Story

My name is Mursal Azizi, I am an artist, founder and director of Hoori Handmade. I'm originally from Afghanistan, now living in the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia.

Growing up under the Taliban regime, I witnessed the strength, resilience, and creativity of Afghan women every day. My mother, a talented seamstress, supported our family through her intricate embroidery and handmade creations. As a child, I always wished I could help her rest from her long, busy days.

Over time, embroidery and handmade crafts became more than just products for me, they became a language of survival, dignity, art, and beauty. Every stitch carried a story, and I learned to honour the hands and lives behind them.

After fleeing Afghanistan in 2021 and arriving in Australia in 2023, I felt a deep responsibility to share the talents and stories of Afghan women — women like my mother who continue to create beautiful handmade work to sustain their families and overcome poverty.

In 2024, I began identifying women in Afghanistan who were the sole breadwinners for their families and facing financial hardship. I collected samples of their embroidery and built connections to help bring their work to the world. In 2025, I officially registered Hoori Handmade as a small business to help these women overcome poverty, support their families, and feel valued for their creativity and skills.

The name Hoori Handmade is inspired by our youngest artisan, Hoorizad, a symbol of alent, hardwork and hope. (Read her story in our Artisans’ Stories section.)

Hoori Handmade is more than a platform — it’s a movement to support Afghan women through their craft, providing them with sustainable income, independence, and a voice in the world.

 

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower Afghan women by creating meaningful employment and income opportunities through handmade products.

Each purchase helps them support their families, preserve their cultural heritage, and share their stories with the world, giving them the chance to feel valued and express themselves in a country where their human rights have been taken away.

 

Sparks in the Dark Exhibition

As part of this mission, I launched the “Sparks in the Dark” exhibition in collaboration with Australian artist Kat Rae, featuring 208 pieces of embroidery crafted by women in Afghanistan.

Held at Nextwave Brunswick from August 15–24, this exhibition marked the fourth anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.

Each piece represented one week since August 2021 — 208 weeks of survival, resistance, and hope. All artworks were available for purchase through our website, with proceeds going directly to support Afghan women artisans.

 

Our Products

We offer a thoughtfully curated range of handmade products, each crafted with skill, care, and meaning, such as:

• Embroidered Artworks
• Clothing
• Jewellery
• Handbags
• Home Décor

Every item is lovingly handmade by skilled Afghan women. Your support helps them build independence, confidence, and hope, amplifying their voices around the world.

 

Join the Movement

Explore our collection and become part of a growing community that believes in dignity, creativity, and economic freedom for Afghan women.

Thank you for standing with us.