by Polina Smith
Courtesy www.shamsiahassani.net
Who is she?
Shamsia Hassani, also known as the “Afghan Banksy,” is Afghanistan’s first female street artist. Hassani was born as a refugee in Iran in 1988. She studied visual arts and got her degree from the University of Kabul, then became part of the faculty as a fine arts lecturer and sculpture professor. Her street art has inspired many, and the poignant messages embedded in each piece have resonated in and outside of Afghanistan; over the years, Hassani has reached international success.
In a place where women’s voices are under constant threat of silencing, Hassani focuses her art on bringing women’s issues into focus—and into the public.
What is her art like?
Hassani aims to empower women in a male-dominated society. According to her website, her art, sprayed on the sides of abandoned buildings crumbling from past bombings, “gives Afghan women a different face, a face with power, ambitions, and willingness to achieve goals.” Many of her pieces feature women with downcast eyes and without mouths, demonstrating the culture of repression in post-war Afghanistan. But Hassani also creates characters who are “proud, loud, and can bring positive changes to peoples’ lives.”
She also hopes to use her art to transform the public view of Afghanistan from something bleak into something a bit more hopeful. She told the Huffington Post in 2016, “I want to cover all bad memories of war from peoples’ minds with color.”
Courtesy www.shamsiahassani.net
Did she disappear?
The Taliban’s recent Kabul takeover sent women and artists fleeing the capital and even deleting messages and social media, fearful of potential repercussions. Hassani’s social media went silent for a few days in late August, worrying her followers. Eventually Hassani’s manager told DW that she was in a safe, undisclosed location, but was unable to interview.
But Hassani’s social media have continued to stay silent, and close friends have been unable to reach her. One friend who is unable to get in contact with Hassani told the Daily Mail: 'She is a very talented artist known as the Afghan Banksy - but I am very worried now as she hasn't been in touch for nearly a week.'
Courtesy www.shamsiahassani.net
It is possible Hassani is taking time away from the internet to stay safe, but her absence is worrisome as the Taliban begins its takeover.
Why is her work so important?
Hassani uses her art—and her life—to break the stereotype of the passive Muslim woman. Her powerful images—which can demonstrate hope, fear, and devastation all at once—provide solidarity for girls and women living under an oppressive government like the Taliban. Hassani herself is also an inspiring figure, as art and self-expression were once stifled in Afghanistan under the former Taliban rule.
A piece of Hassani’s art posted to her social media on August 31st shows a crying woman silhouetted against a ravaged city with planes flying overhead. The image is framed by curtains that look like a dollar bill, bringing to mind the corruption and greed that influences societies. The artist captions the powerful image with the message:
“My homeland
My Kabul
I can’t see your destruction, the pain of homelessness and migration is
….burning me little by little
My Afghanistan, my Kabul, my roots and my identity”
Hassani’s art represents the struggles Afghan women face, acting at once as social commentary and a beacon of hope. To see more of Hassani’s art, visit her Instagram @shamsiahassani. Considerdonating to Women for Women International to help protect Afghan girls and women from the Taliban reemergence.