Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan

Recently, I learned about the Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan who work with Afghan women artists. Rahraw Omarzad is the director of the Center.

Women artists are not typically known or acknowledged for their work. There are very few pieces of art done by women in the National Gallery, National Museum, and when interviewing the Master Afghan Artists, no mention was made of female Afghan artists.

The Center for Contemporary Art Afghanistan aims to change all that. Through their website, they are promoting the art and telling a little about the women.

Typically, though, the women do not want their pictures shown. A few brave souls are interviewed or mentioned on the video. But it is dangerous for all of them, including Mr. Omarzad, since Fundamentalists (Taliban, etc), do not approve of women involved in this sort of thing.

The women bravely paint on. You'll be impressed by what you see. Check my site frequently, to learn more about Afghan women and Afghan women artists.

Nato Channel took a great video describing the work of the CCAA with Afghan women artists.

Like the master artists shared, Realism Art is the primary art form in Afghanistan. Abstract Art is not usually appreciated by Afghans.

So to make money and sell their paintings, Afghan artists typically stick with Realism Art. However, it is in Modern and Abstract art that the true soul of Afghan pathos may be seen.

So while it was a beautiful picture of a mosque which caught my attention in the store window one day, it is in Abstract Art, Collage, and Modern Art where we see unique interpretations of the Afghan experience.

Afghanistan Artists

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