Why We Refuse Certain Requests

Safouane Ben Haj Ali
Sep 28
2 min read

Updated: Oct 7

Street mural in Tunisia of woman holding amphora, framed with hamsa motifs

Not every idea deserves to become an object. And that’s the point.

Custom work at My Chakchouka does not mean endless possibility. It means continuity; shaping objects that hold use, dignity, and memory. When a request breaks that line, we decline it.

Custom is Not Novelty

The word “custom” often suggests indulgence: anything you want, made on demand. But in Tunisia, craft has never served whim. It has served life. The bowl that carries couscous. The fouta that dries in the sun. The spoon that stirs without splintering. These objects were designed by function first, and it is that rhythm we protect.

Where We Say No

Some requests go against what makes Tunisian craft endure.

Against function: a ceramic bowl made too thin for heat, a fouta woven in polyester instead of cotton.
Against material: an oversized olive wood platter that would crack, wasting a tree that took decades to grow.
Against meaning: cultural symbols bent into decoration, stripped of their weight.

To accept these would be to betray the craft. So we don’t.

Why Refusal Matters

When an artisan says no, it is not resistance. It is guardianship. Every object that leaves Tunisia should carry the same integrity as those that came before. Refusal keeps the chain unbroken. It is part of the promise.

Continuity Over Excess

Custom at My Chakchouka means adapting within the system, not bending it out of shape. A motif can be adjusted, a size can be refined, a use can be imagined. But always in service of daily life, not against it.

When a piece is made, it’s because it should exist.