SHAMSIA HASSANI

"I want to colour over the bad memories of war on the walls and erase (war) from people's minds. I want to make Afghanistan famous because of its art, not its war. I want to show that women have returned to Afghan society with a new, stronger shape."

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Shamsia lived in Kabul, and she could paint incredibly fast: a whole mural in a few minutes! The reason she was so quick is that if she got caught making art in the streets, people, who believed that an Afghan woman should only stay at home, would harass her. Afghanistan can be a difficult place for women- especially those who want to change the rules.

Shamsia used her art to promote women’s rights in her country. She believed that graffiti is a healthy way to fight. Most people don’t go to art galleries or museums. So, her street art is more likely to be seen.

Shamsia couldn’t paint on big monuments, which require time as she could be caught. Instead, she chose staircases, walls of narrow streets, back alleys- hidden passages that people still used on a daily basis.

She mainly painted big, tall women. She wanted people to notice and perceive them in a new way. Shamsia is the first Afghan female street artist: one of the brave superheroes working on breaking conventions! People would see these paintings everyday, on the way to work, school, shops, etc. So, it would become a part of their life, which is when the country’s mindset would evolve.

In one of her murals, a girl in playing a red electric guitar- an uncommon sight for Afghanis. In another one, on a cracked wall near a staircase, a tall woman wearing a light blue burka is looking up towards the sky- a symbol of hope!