Born April 1988, Shamsia is the first female graffiti artist of Afghanistan. Through her artworks, Shamsia portrays Afghan women in a male dominant society.
Her art gives Afghan women a different face, a face with power, ambitions, and willingness to achieve goals. The woman character used in her artworks portrays a human being who is proud, loud, and can bring positive changes to people’s lives. During the last decade of post-war era in Afghanistan, Shamsia’s works have brought in a huge wave of color and appreciation to all the women in the country.
Her artworks have inspired thousands of women around the world and has given a new hope to female Afghan artists in the country. She has motivated hundreds of Afghans to bring in their creativity through her graffiti festival, art classes, and exhibitions in different countries around the world.
Courtesy of www.shamsiahassani.net
Protest Art
'When you speak out publicly about something - regardless of what form it takes - you’re engaging in your right to freedom of expression. It’s outlined in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
When you create art and use it to say something poignant about something you care about, or use it to express a stance or a position, you’re not only engaging in the right to freedom of expression, but also whatever rights that your stance or position touches on.'
Amnesty International
Shamsia recently wrote:
Currently, Afghan women are living in difficult conditions, they are deprived of their basic human rights. Among all the restrictions and problems, the most worrying thing is for the girls of the new generation, the lack of education and freedom has plunged the girls of the new generation into a black hole.
The subject of my paintings is about us and our destiny; about the women and people who live in difficult conditions in Afghanistan, and also about those who unwillingly left their homeland and soul in Afghanistan and migrated, like me!
And I feel people in the world who are in similar situations to us, and I know the words of their hearts.
The unspeakable things that are better expressed with pictures and will definitely be more effective.
زنان افغانستان در شرایط سختی زندگی میکنند، آنها در حسرت داشتن یک زندگی ساده معمولی در عمق سیاهی فرو رفته اند. دختران نسل جدید از ادامه تحصیل محروم شده اند و حتی آزادی های کوچک و معمولی را هم ندارند، این نهایت نا امیدی است و همه میدانیم که با این اوضاع واحوال آینده سیاه تری در پیش روی است.اما چه باید کرد؟
داستان نقاشی های من درباره اتفاق های دنیای امروزی است، درباره من و تو و خیلی هایی که صدای شان شنیده نمیشود. درباره زنان افغان، زنان ایران، مردم مناطق جنگ زده، کودکان بی پناه در دل دنیای بی رحم.
و حتی درباره کسانی که به اجبار مهاجر شدند، غرور خود را زیر پا گذاشتند و آماده هر گونه تحقیر شدن هستند، فقط برای زنده ماندن و گرفتن حق شان از زندگی روحا در عذاب ابدی به سر میبرند.
داستان نقاشی های من سرنوشت انسان امروزی در جایی به نام جهان سوم است …
Courtesy of Instagram
The Connor Contemporary writes; “Shamsia’s work is not only strikingly beautiful contemporary art—born on the streets and now powerfully reimagined as protest art—but it’s also a true privilege to showcase her pieces in our gallery. Her work is bold and unmistakably original, making powerful political, cultural, and social statements. We’re incredibly excited to present her art in the gallery soon and are already looking forward to adding more of her work to our collection in the future.”
