A keffiyeh hung effortlessly over one shoulder, while a jambiya — its curved blade a symbol of Yemeni pride — rested casually over a tracksuit. Another model, wearing a deep blue madhalla, a traditional hat worn by goat herders in the desert, brought rural elegance to urban hip-hop vibes.
The atmosphere felt like a family gathering in Sana’a — or perhaps Sheffield: vibrant, warm, and eclectic, with deep red and gold carpets, brass coffee tables, the scent of Adeni chai filling the space, and traditional Yemeni music mingling with the beats of the Black Eyed Peas.
Kazna Asker’s London Fashion Week 2025 collection, inspired by her family’s journey from South Yemen to South Yorkshire, brought together elements from both cultures to show life in the Yemeni community in the UK.
Connecting with Yemeni identity
Since the outbreak of war in Yemen in 2015, Yemenis in the diaspora have increasingly turned to arts and culture as a powerful means of political expression, activism, and cultural preservation.
From poetry and music to visual arts and fashion, creative expression has become a vehicle through which the diaspora not only shares insights into Yemen’s ongoing conflict but also asserts their identity, challenges stereotypes, and fosters solidarity.
For many in the diaspora, arts and culture have become pathways for expressing and connecting with their Yemeni identity.
For individuals like Liverpool-based Yemeni-British poet Amina Atiq, art is more than a personal pursuit — it’s a political tool that connects her to her homeland, challenges societal perceptions, and creates space for dialogue in the face of political polarisation.
Amina’s poetry reflects the complex experience of a Yemeni-British woman navigating the intersection of multiple identities.
Laced with colourful references to both Yemen and her home city of Liverpool, her poems simultaneously challenge the expectations and stereotypes of Yemenis in the UK, while also sparking dialogue with other Yemenis about their heritage.
Similarly, Amina takes inspiration from Yemen’s rich cultural heritage for her designs, blending them with contemporary elements to challenge misconceptions of Yemeni culture and emphasise the historical depth and beauty of her ancestral homeland.
These artists, and others like them, are using their creative practices and platforms as a form of cultural resistance, rejecting reductive portrayals of Yemen and instead offering a more expansive and dynamic understanding of their identity.
Amina’s fashion, which blends traditional Yemeni heritage with modern design, creates a pathway for Yemeni youth in the diaspora to connect with their cultural roots. Yet, in the face of political instability and conflict, this kind of cultural preservation can also be a form of resistance.
For Yemenis living far from their ancestral homeland, cultural practices are vital to maintaining a connection to their heritage, creating a sense of continuity and community amidst the chaos of conflict.
By showcasing Yemen’s cultural heritage and traditional crafts, Amina not only creates space for cultural pride but also raises awareness of the richness of Yemen’s artistic history, which often goes unnoticed in global discussions about the country.
Solidarity and activism
For some Yemeni creatives — and especially women — art is also a deeply personal process of healing and activism. This is particularly true for women who have faced backlash as a result of their public engagement with Yemeni politics.
The digital sphere, especially social media, has become a space where Yemeni women can express their experiences, mobilise for change, and reclaim their narratives.
However, it has also been a space rife with harassment, with many facing online attacks for speaking out on political issues related to Yemen’s conflict, their gender, or their activism.
In response, some women have turned to art as a form of therapy, using creative expression to process trauma, heal, and regain their agency.
Amina uses poetry as a form of personal expression and collective storytelling, where her words serve as both an outlet for processing the complexities of her identity and a call for solidarity and activism.
She has spoken about how poetry has been her refuge, a way to confront and channel her emotional and political experiences, allowing her to connect with others who share similar struggles.
In this context, art serves as a safe space for expressing complex emotions while also functioning as a subtle form of political engagement.
Through her poetry, Amina has created a platform for dialogue, offering Yemenis in her audience a chance to reflect on the trauma of experiencing conflict in their homeland indirectly from afar, as well as highlighting the resilience of Yemeni identity in the face of violence and displacement.
Challenging stereotypes
Other Yemenis in the diaspora are leveraging the power of art and culture to shape narratives around Yemen and its ongoing war.
For far too long, Yemen has been defined in international media and political discourse by its recent history of violent conflict. Yet, diaspora artists are offering alternative narratives—ones that showcase Yemen’s culture, history, and potential for peace.
Initiatives like Yemen Used to Be highlight the country’s rich cultural heritage, celebrating its traditions and history before the current conflict, through visual storytelling and media campaigns generated by Yemenis both inside and outside of Yemen.
These creatives are not only preserving Yemen’s past but also contributing to the creation of a hopeful future — one where peace and possibility, rather than war, dominate the conversation.
Through their art, they invite the world to see Yemen as more than a country affected by conflict — it is a place of cultural richness, historical depth, and untold potential.
Yemeni creatives in the diaspora are increasingly using their art to push back against racism and xenophobia in the countries where they live. Amina’s work, for example, not only celebrates Yemeni culture but also responds to the discrimination and marginalisation that many in the diaspora face.
By showcasing the beauty and complexity of Yemeni culture through fashion and merging tradition with pop culture elements often associated with the ‘West’, Amina challenges the prevailing stereotypes and prejudices about Yemeni and Arab communities in the UK.
Similarly, Amina’s poetry addresses issues of racism, xenophobia, and exclusion, using her voice as a means to bring attention to political causes close to her heart, including the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
As she has gradually grown in confidence to share and express her Yemeni identity through her work, her political activism has also become a source of radical joy.
These Yemeni creatives highlight the pivotal role of arts and culture as mechanisms for political engagement in the diaspora.
Through poetry, fashion, visual arts, and other forms of creative expression, Yemenis are mobilising politically, preserving their cultural heritage, and advocating for change in both their homeland and their host countries. Thus, art provides not only a means of cultural connection but also serves as a tool for healing, resistance, and activism.
As Yemen continues to face conflict and instability, the role of the diaspora in shaping global narratives about Yemen’s past, present, and future has never been more vital.
The creative work of these individuals is not just a reflection of their struggles but also a powerful tool for reshaping the political landscape and fighting for a more just and peaceful future for Yemenis — both inside Yemen and around the world.
Dr Laura Cretney is a social entrepreneur and consultant based in Oman. Her research focuses on diaspora mobilisation in homeland conflict and peacebuilding, with a particular emphasis on Yemen. She is also the founder of Pink Jinn, an online marketplace that supports creatives, artisans, and small businesses from across the Middle East and North Africa. The platform aims to economically empower communities and preserve cultural heritage
Follow her on Instagram: @laura.cretney
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