Afghanistan’s First Female Street Artist Brings Hijabs and Feminism to City Walls
Shamsia Hassani, a street artist with a splash of feminism, is trying to ‘cover all bad memories of war from people’s mind with colours,’ in the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan. “I began this series, Secret, by outlining the figures of women in burqas with straight lines and sharp edges, conveying a feeling of strength.” Shamsia told the Huffington Post. “Still, I wanted to show the secret beneath the burqa, which is that there is a real person inside. I wanted to remove the restrictions on women and the guitar represents her ability to speak up and express herself.”
As you can see, the musical instrument is a very common element in Shamsia’s artwork. Music represents freedom and self expression.
Shamsia is a very active person, despite the dangers in Afghanistan that would discourage any creativity and out-and-about activities. She travels whenever there’s an opportunity to exhibit her artwork and make sure that people overseas know that both feminism and art in that part of the world also exists.
Apart from teaching graffiti at the University of Kabul, the 28-year-old artist is currently the artist-in-residence at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. “She’s incredibly inspiring,” Hammer Museum’s curator, Ali Subotnick, said. “The fact that she’s a woman going into the streets to paint, where it’s dangerous just to walk alone outdoors in Kabul — she’s so fierce and independent and strong. She’s giving women in Afghanistan a voice.”
In an interview with the LA times, she said that it’s not very often that she goes out to paint on public walls. “I have a small studio. It’s a balcony off my living room. I paint canvases and paper there. When I find everything OK, I will go outside and paint. Mostly not very public spaces, like small roads or the roads of the university — some place I feel is more safe. The university will sometimes give me permission and support me.”
WE SAID THIS: Photos are courtesy of Shamsia’s Facebook page.
