Lida Afghan

Before the Taliban takeover and everything, I used Afghanistan as an inspiration for my art. I started to travel to Afghanistan in 2015 and during my trip to Afghanistan, I discovered how beautiful Afghanistan was and how much of a difference it was from what I had imagined and seen from the media. You can say my trip to Afghanistan opened my mind and eye because I became a victim of the image the media gave me of my beloved Afghanistan. I know I am not alone to believe the things the media shows and that’s why I decided to speak up and show the real beauty of Afghanistan through my art.

I traveled to Afghanistan every year from 2015  till 2019. Despite of the urge I had to show the positive sides of Afghanistan - I also had to be realistic. Through my visits to Afghanistan, I started to discover how the society is so different in Afghanistan compared to the society in Denmark (where I’m living now). I’m a woman and an activist at heart who felt the need to help out and stand up for women's rights in Afghanistan because when we talk about “women’s right” we must reassure that everyone is included - also the women who lives in the shadow of a man dominated society.

Almost all my m art is about women's rights and women empowerment and after making all of these arts and traveling back and forth to Afghanistan - I started to plan my future goals in Afghanistan. One of my goals was to start an art school for the afghans living in the country - so they could make a living out of expressing themselves in a creative way - but my goals got shattered after the Taliban takeover in august 2021. I felt very devastated knowing that I couldn’t travel there again to visit my family and fulfill my dreams. I know there are women who are secretly making art and there are many artists in Afghanistan who will continue make art - my goal is to be there for those people and to support them. It’s currently a project I’m working on.

I feel like I lost my whole world when Taliban took over Afghanistan. It’s like reliving my parent’s nightmare. It was not just the thought of not being able to ever travel there again, it was also the thought that things will never be the same as before in Afghanistan, the world of Afghanistan has turned upside down and it has taken us 40 years back again. Being there every year before covid and the take over, you would have understood how much progress the country was making - especially when it cane to art, creatives and women’s freedom.
Personally, it will be hard for me to accept the changes in society because we all have worked so hard to get here but the Taliban ruined everything for us. Many artist living in Afghanistan are also as heartbroken as me because living under the rules of the Taliban's means they need to give up on their talent and dreams because the Taliban have forbidden artistic things along with other things as well like music, etc

It’s hard for me to create art because my inspiration came from  Afghanistan and because of all the emotions I have within me, it’s hard to put something on a white sheet because I know no color will make Afghanistan brighter but I am trying my best to still help my people as much as I can and I am trying my best to spread awareness through my social media and art. Just recently I have organized a charity event for women and children of Afghanistan - an event where I encouraged the people to use their creativity to raise awareness - Poems, mauic, paintings and everything.

I am also currently working on a project together with other afghan artists around the world called ‘Art Of Freedom Project’ and it’s supported by the British council. Besides that I am working other projects as well - all related to being an Afghan Artist.
You can say that I am taking any opportunity to help our people.
I take every opportunity that comes to spread the word - from going live to in a Spanish activists’ live to discuss about Afghanistan to doing an interview for the Czech Republic. I try to educate others about Afghanistan and the Taliban so they don’t become victims of the media like I once was before.

I hope I can go back to Afghanistan and have the courage to stand next to my fellow artists again.

 Lida Afghan

All images courtesy the artist.
Lida Afghan’s Instagram