Women of the World
An Examination of Women's status across the globe.
An Examination of Women's status across the globe.
Mourning in Kabul (2005-06)(30 x 40: oil on canvas)
was inspired by a photograph by Xabier Mikel Laburu Van Woudenberg. The woman in the photo suggested this composition to the photographer. While realism is not my forte, the image demanded to be painted as it screams out the harsh metaphor women face under the Taliban, and other like-minded extremists who subjugate women. It took six months to paint. "Mourning in Kabul" and "Atash Gozir" are the two paintings of which I am most proud; combined they show both the great beauty and the harsh struggle of Middle Eastern and Afghan women.
Original Painting: Contact Artist
Limited Edition Giclee: $600 ($100 goes to RAWA; an organization aiding Afghan women)
Limited Fine Art Print (1/1000): $60
Will to Power (2006)(30 x 40: Oil on canvas)
merges the iconic pose of Rosie the Riveter with the ongoing struggles facing Middle-Eastern women. It is time to emerge from beneath the veil, to throw off the yoke of subjugation and have women exert their strength in the world... So here's hoping Rosie's spirit will rise up beneath the burka.
Original Painting: Contact Artist
Limited Edition Giclee: $600 ($100 goes to RAWA; an organization aiding Afghan women)
Limited Fine Art Print: $60
Atash Gozir (2005)(16" x 20": oil on canvas)
was my 8th original painting, and is part of my "Women of the World" series. The composition is inspired by a photograph. The title is a combination of the Farsi words for "fire" and "determination"; for me, her eyes embody "fiery determination." Since my father is from Afghanistan, I have long had a fascination with Middle Eastern culture. At the same time, I have long been upset by the lower-class status often held by women in Middle Eastern society. There is a need for some fiery determination to alter women's place in the world.
One night when I couldn't sleep, I sketched out the composition on a canvas. Since I had never done realism, I was shocked by the power of the image. I was afraid that I would "mess it up", and so the pencil drawing stayed there for 6 months, before I finally got the courage to apply paint. It was true trial and error as I figured out how to do skin tones. The veil was pure experiment... I used a detail bottle to drip the paint on the canvas; the result was better than I could imagine as it allowed for transparency as well as an evocation of both Farsi writing as well as the hint of blood spilled.
This, along with "Mourning in Kabul", are the two works of which I am most proud.
Original Painting: Not For Sale
Limited Edition Giclee: Framed $350
Limited Fine Art Print : $30
Waiting (2006)(9" x 12": India Ink on Paper)
is part of my "Women of the World" series. It was inspired by the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, and the relentless photos of women and children waiting for relief, for food, for whatever will help them survive. While it is easy to feel helpless in the face of such calamity, I find the strength of women to be inspiring, and I wish to capture, remember, and pay homage to the continuing quest for women's rights.
Original Painting: Contact Artist
Limited Edition Giclee Framed: $150
Limited Fine Art Print: $30
Remembering Salehah (2006)(18 x 24: Acrylic on Canvas)
was inspired by the harrowing true story of an Afghan woman who was covered with gasoline and set on fire by her husband during an argument. She died two days later, leaving behind 2 kids. Her husband was never prosecuted. This painting bears witness to Salehah and the countless other women who have suffered such brutal injustice. For more information, go to www.rawa.org. RAWA (Revolutionary Assoication of the Women of Afghanistan) is the oldest political/social organization of Afghan women struggling for peace, freedom, democracy and women's rights in fundamentalism-blighted Afghanistan since 1977.
Original Painting: Contact Artist
Limited Edition Giclee: $300
50% of proceeds go to RAWA.
Limited Fine Art Print: $30
Akoma Sankofa (2006)(11 x 14: acrylic on canvas)
takes its name from West African Adinkra Wisdom symbols. The word "akoma" symbolizes patience and tolerance, while "sankofa" symbolizes learning from the past. Those two words seemed to sum up the calm wisdom emanating from the figure.
Original: Contact Artist
Limited Edition Giclee Framed: $200
Limited Fine Art Print: $30
