Who is Shamsia Hassani, the street artist from Kabul who through her powerful graffiti gives voice to Afghan women
In recent days, the beautiful works that portray Afghan women, with colorful dresses but with a sad and frightened expression and always without a mouth, are bouncing on social networks. Images with a strong evocative power that are a punch in the stomach and that refer to the drama experienced by women in Afghanistan, following the return of the Taliban regime.
“They are the works of an Afghan artist, her name is Shamsia Hassani. If we turn them around, it will be like giving a voice to her and to all the #donneafghane who are living in hell! " reads the caption that accompanies a collage of some of her wonderful drawings.
They are the work of an Afghan artist named Samshia Hassani, and she wants us to know through her paintings the hell they are experiencing pic.twitter.com/bNStsUaFxw
— Gabrielabruja (@LastchanceGaby) August 23, 2021
Read also: Victory! These Afghan women from the non-profit Pangea have finally left Kabul
Who is Shamsia Hassani
But who exactly is Shamsia Hassani? She is the first Afghan woman who has decided to devote herself to street art and she does so with a very specific mission: to denounce the war and the inhumane conditions of the female universe in the Middle Eastern country.
I want to color the bad memories of the war - Hassani explained in a recent interview with Art Radar - and if you remember these bad memories, then I erase the war from people's minds. I want to make Afghanistan famous for its art, not for its war ”.
Born in Iran in 1988, where her parents emigrated due to the war, Shamsia Hassani returned to her country in 2005 and studied art at the University of Kabul before becoming a professor of sculpture. Since 2010 she has dedicated herself to urban art. The capital is now full of her touching graffiti in homage to women.
Wrapped in traditional chador and graceful poses, with musical instruments or even just immersed in their thoughts, Shamsia has a goal: to teach women to look at themselves and their desires. And make something change.
In one of his latest works, the artist depicted a woman kneeling in front of an armed man (a clear reference to the conquest of the Taliban). Next to her is a fallen vase with a flower, but fortunately it is not yet broken. There is still a chance to collect it. And we strongly hope that this is indeed the case, for Shamsia and all the others.
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A post shared by Shamsia Hassani (@shamsiahassani)
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A post shared by Shamsia Hassani (@shamsiahassani)
Art changes people's minds and people change the world, writes Shamsia.
But how complicated is it right now?
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A post shared by Shamsia Hassani (@shamsiahassani)
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A post shared by Shamsia Hassani (@shamsiahassani)
It takes a moment to understand the logic that Shamsia follows in her works: hers are women who find themselves in a society where the male universe dominates in all fields. And the aim is to give the women of the country a different face, inspired by new strength and renewed courage and the will to achieve goals.
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A post shared by Shamsia Hassani (@shamsiahassani)
How to do? It takes courage and the feminine character instilled by her in her works illustrate a human being who is proud, tenacious and can also bring about changes in people's lives.
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A post shared by Shamsia Hassani (@shamsiahassani)
Shamsia Hassani is a strong woman and knows how to represent the pain of her country. But now what will become of her works?
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A post shared by Shamsia Hassani (@shamsiahassani)
Font: shamsiahassani Instagram
Read also:
- Because there are hardly any women and children in the images of the mass flight from Kabul
- Submission or death: the "life" that awaits Afghan women (again)
- What each of us can do to help those in need in Afghanistan
