Dear all,
Hereby CCAA has the honor to invite you to attend the First Female Paining & Modern Painting Exhibition that will take place in Kabul - Afghanistan at Hamani High School on 25th to 27th February 2008. The exhibition opening is on 26th and will continue for other tow consecutive days till 28 February 2008.
Note: those who have already received an invitation please be informed that the date of the exhibition has been shifted from 26th to 25th February 2008 which won't be has been sit and would be changes further.
Let me take you to a brief exposure to CCAA background and the exhibition particulars.
This exhibition is launched by CCAA that is a non-governmental and non-profit oriented organization established in August 2004 working in the area of arts and culture within the country.
Currently CCAA has established a Female Art Centre providing opportunity for female artists to learn painting (contemporary paintings) and in near future video arts a photography will be added to the list of its artistic subjects. The establishment of Women Arts Centre is supported primarily by Women of the World Foundation (WWF) and further funding provided by Open Society Institure (OSI). The center by now is functioning almost for a year, and the result of the one year endeavors will be put at depiction in this exhibition. In this exhibition, the contemporary paintings from female artists of this centre will be exhibited. This exhibition will be the First Female Painting and Modern Painting Exhibition in the Afghan Arts History.
The exhibition has gained multi-donors support and the donors are HBF as the prime funder of the exhibition, ANDS, USA Embassy, Spain Embassy, French Embassy and CRA a local NGO.
Places this exhibition will be held: This exhibition will take place first in Kabul in the home-country of its artists, and subsequently it will take place in USA, and as the mobile-exhibition will take place in money other countries as well.
Who will participate in this exhibition: The audiences of this exhibition are high ranking officials from the government, possibly, headed by Mr. Karzai the president of Afghanistan, diplomats, representatives from donor community, UN family, artists from in and out of the country.
Duration: The exhibition will last for three consecutive days; opening on 26th –Feb-08 and will go on for two more consecutive days till 28th-Feb-2008.
The importance of this exhibition: This exhibition has importance from different aspects that are:
- This is the first time in Afghanistan that a contemporary arts exhibition (modern paining) is being launched, the exhibition through a different language and prospective would like to present a new movement in the visual arts of Afghanistan.
- And once again, this is the first visual arts exhibition that is being launched by Afghan female artists throughout the Afghan Arts History.
- The other importance is that this is the 1st time that an Afghan visual art given an opportunity to be exhibited at the national and international level.
- Through this exhibition some Afghan female artists will be introduced as pioneers of this new movement.
- More than 80 percent of these works reflect different dimensions of women life in Afghanistan that is why it is an unprecedented move.
- This is a step towards building trust in the Afghan society for women; this initiative will empower the social, artistic, and cultural status of Afghan women. In general this exhibition will be counted as an important step towards the realization of women's rights, strengthening of democracy, ensuring social justice and empowerment of women's role in the society that is the cross-cutting thematic goal of the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS).
What is being exhibited? 70 contemporary paintings of female artistes will be exhibited.
Who are the women artists? The female artists are young artists; students of high school and Kabul university.
What is the theme of the exhibit? The fundamental theme of the exhibition is the current social problems and challenges laid ahead of Afghanistan development and in particular that of the problems and challenges that Afghan women are encountering.
Visibility Outreach: publishing of 3,000 copies of catalogue, 80,000 copies of postcards (40 designs), 5 billboards around Kabul City and couple of TV and Radio Announcement (through different Kabul-based TV and Radio Channels can been seen throughout the country, middle east, Europe and USA).
We will be very much happy and honored to have your participation in this splendid exhibition.
Regards,
Rahraw Omarzad,
CCAA Director
About the Catalogue:
It is a remarkable event that for the first time a catalogue on the artistic achievements of Afghan Women Painters is being published. As a matter of a fact this is the first independent art exhibition of the Afghan women in the country, which has become possible by the voluble contribution and financial support from HBF.
The catalogue introduces the artists and their artwork. It begins with a quick review of artistic movements in Afghanistan starting with the era of Kamaluddin Behzad, the prominent artist of Timuried period, who founded the first school of Fine Arts in Herat in 16 century AD. The catalogue also contains voluble information on the second artistic movement in Afghanistan, the emergence of great artists and art centers in the beginning of 20th century, which paved the way for the “Center for Contemporary Arts in Afghanistan” (CCAA) to come to existence.
We would like to thank all the good friends and colleagues who have assisted us, in different phases of preparing this catalogue, in particular Mr. Sarwar Azrakhsh, respected poet and writer, who had the responsibility of editing the catalogue, and the Hawanama Production Company for translation of the materials into English. Also special thanks to Ms. Sediqa Rezaee, Ms. Khadija Hashemi, Ms. Umul Baneen (Shamsia), Ms. Nabeela Hoorakhsh and Ms. Sheenkai Stanekzai for their sincere contribution in helping with the interviews, typing the text, and provision of the pictures for the catalogue. It is also worth to mention that AMC Company has paid special attention in designing and publishing of this catalogue that we are grateful for. .
From Kamaludin Behzad to Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan
Sixteenth century can be considered the flourishing era of knowledge, and artistic accomplishments in our ancient land. Herat, the capital of the country during the Timuried period, is considered to be a shining star that glowed in the darkness of the ages and served as the center for knowledge, wisdom, arts and culture. Famous scholars, philosophers, gnosis and artists lived in this cosmopolitan city. Art lovers and those in the quest of knowledge traveled to this city from different parts of the world to gain more knowledge and learn arts. This was at the time that Kamaluddin Behzad emerged as a great artist of the eastern world and established his own school of arts in terms of style, and in terms of artistic outlook he paid more attention to the essence of reality than the reality itself. In other words Behzad portrayed a spiritual world, which was beyond the diminutions of the martial boundaries. He did not to adhere to the origins of and light, and subsequently the shaded areas in his paintings. As a spiritual artist he kept distant from rules and standards of representational visual realities. His original style and unique approach opened the doors of fame and glory for him and his phenomenal art work made its way to the courts of Ottoman and Indian kingdoms and later to the court of Safavides of Persia.
Behzad’s life coincides with the golden age of European Renaissance. He was contemporary to Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael Gurvich, and Michelangelo, the great artists of the western world, who introduced the rules of prospective, lighting and shading, anatomy and proportions to the world of art. Their endeavor to create the principles of visual knowledge that lays the foundations of representational art is essential.
On the other hand, the main characteristics of Islamic art, mainly miniature paintings are based on simplification of form and color. This method was implemented by western artists in the second half of nineteenth century and beginning of twentieth century and reached its peak by painters, such as Gustavo Klimt and Picasso.
Arnovo is a style of painting that is affected by symbolism in which many decorative elements have been borrowed from eastern miniature paintings.
In the work of Gustavo Klimt, who is considered to be a true follower of Arnovo and some recognize him as the leader of the style of symbolism; the influence of eastern miniature decorative paintings is evident, especially in his famous piece Adel Balooch, that this effect is clearly apparent.
Nabis School is also similar to eastern miniature, in terms of coloring of the background, applying of decorative motives (such as levels), usage of dark peripheral lines, omission or reduction of perspective connected with the theme, that constitute the main characteristics of this style.
The miniature painting of the east influenced Henri Matisse, the pioneer of Fauvism, and one of the leaders of modernism movement in Europe. He confesses that east has always been the source of his inspirations. Grogan Matiz along with Alber Marka in 1910 watched the Munich international exhibition and stated exploring the eastern paintings, particularly the miniature artwork. The exhibition of Grogan Matiz influenced him to the extent that he wrote a letter to Gertrude Stein about this exhibition, “The east saved us.”
Henri Matisse had tremendous love for eastern miniatures. He used the eastern miniature basics; in terms of relationship and combination of lines, form, colors, and surfaces. This gave an overall atmosphere of eastern mode to his work. Thus, the original principles, of eastern miniature paintings, created centuries ago, dominated the work of 19th and 20th century western artists.
After the fall of the Timmurids of Herat and Behzad’s departure from his homeland, Afghanistan, unfortunately didn’t witness a great artistic movement for a long period due to the occurrence of centuries of wars. Finally in the beginning of 20th century of a new spirit and revived the fatigue body of the Afghan artists.
In the year 1921, during the reign of King Amanullah, the first school of arts and fine crafts was established in Kabul with the help of Germany.
51 years after the establishment of the school, another arts centre by the name of Ghulam Mohammad Maimanagi Centre was established by the Ministry of Information and Culture in 1971. Later on in 1976 the faculty of Fine Arts in Kabul University and then faculty of Fine Arts of Herat in 1986 were established as the third and fourth government arts institutions by the ministry of higher education.
Thus, history testifies that from decades hereafter only two provinces of Afghanistan out of 34 availed of formal and precise arts education. Lack of careful consideration by the governments and the lack of proper and accurate and sustainable promotional program are the reasons behind the backwardness of arts in our country.
The establishment of the school of arts and fine crafts had an essential role in the growth of contemporary arts in Afghanistan, especially in shaping the artistic specification of an era. In this era, in contrary to Behzad School, the emphasize was done on the rules and principles of naturalism and visual realities. More attention was paid in development of professional techniques. Meanwhile establishment of other art centers helped in the strengthening and sustainability of artistic standards.
with the entrance of Abdul Ghafur Breshna, Master of fine arts to the country , new changes in subject matter of Afghan paintings, particularly in creating the realities of the life conditions of general public, Afghan countryside sceneries, portraits of the common people and landscape. This was a good start; however, the style didn’t change for quit some and artistic creativity declined during this period. One of the reasons was that many painters used photos that were published as postcards and in printed media to create their artwork. The painters copied the same subjects with little changes that resulted in replication of specific themes such as (Buzkashi, Jam Minaret, Bamyam Statue, Portraits of the Old Men, Street-Side Barbers, Woman in Burqa and etc.). The change of styles and passage of time had a very little effect on the work of many painters.
The innovative creations of a limited number of artists are not part of this debate, since their work didn’t have a considerable effect on the process.
The lack of efficient methods of teaching in the arts centers is considered as another factor for this downfall. The fact that majority of artworks are mainly based on copying in these centers, destroys the students' creativity and their ability to become innovative.
Another factor that affects the progress of visual arts in our country is the academic acceptance of the standards of naturalism and changing it to an absolute knowledge. In this kind of training the students become incapable of taking major steps towards expanding their artistic visions.
On the other hand, with the continuation of this situation, the general public gets so accustomed with the values of naturalisms, that there will not be any room for acceptance of any other style.
History testifies that over the past eighty years politics and governments have been changed nine times, but there have not been any remarkable changes to the arts of this land.
Wassilly Kandinsky says, "Each period of a civilization creates its specific art that will never reborn. To try and revive the principles of art of the past centuries to its best formation, leads to the production of stillborn work. The art that does not have the necessary potential to move towards future, and the art that remains child of its period and cannot sow the seeds of future in it, is a barren art. Such an art passes by, and as it does not have the required potential to go along with the flow of time/era and it dies by the change of time."
We cannot answer the complexity of today’s life with the manifestation of yesterday's realities, or with long-lasting, monotonousness, conservative continues methods. The present socio-economic and political changes define the nature of our existence in the framework of the new needs, both in national and international levels.
It is a fact that methods of teaching, which were used based on the needs of the society of 30 to 80 years ago, can’t answer the needs of today's societies.
Therefore, renewal and new artistic achievements are the needs that the human communities have always nourished in their wombs. Variation of artistic styles and artistic approaches over the past centuries is the depiction of this reality.
The Center for Contemporary Arts in Afghanistan (CCAA) is born out of the necessities of today’s Afghan society. The center’s cosmopolitan vision and the interest of international cultural circles in Afghanistan’s art, in the recent years have played a vital role in establishment of CCAA. The First exhibition of female artists in its own merit is a sign of novel changes in the country, and a beginning for future movement in the field of arts.
About this exhibition:
This exhibition contains two remarkable qualities:
This is the first independent art exhibition of the Afghan girls' in the history of Afghanistan.
The exhibition conveys new creative visions of a young generation that symbolically expresses their experiences from life in the framework of new artistic concepts.
In this exhibition, paintings of a young talented group of girls have been gathered, who have worked together, while sharing a humble atelier and have exchanged ideas while creating their phenomenal artwork in a friendly atmosphere.
The exhibition, focus in general is on women’s life in Afghanistan. As a person who witnessed this process from beginning to the end, I encouraged these young artists to show the glory, success and honors of Afghan women, instead of limiting themselves to portray deprivation and sufferings of women, however these young artists preferred to focus on the realities of life, particularly, the problems that are caused by deprivations and oppression. They believe that women are the silent majority of Afghanistan’s population. They have thousands of words to say, that they can’t express, and have thousands of untold stories to tell, that remain unspoken.
This exhibition is the first opportunity for the women, who have been under psychological pressures to express themselves and find answers to their extreme needs. According to Wassily Kandinsky, whatever emerges from internal needs is sacred and all the methods that ignore the internal needs are not sacred. The principle of artistic freedom is exploring the essence of internal need.
The artists, who have participated in this exhibition, don’t have academic training or private education, which are not the determining condition for participation in the art show. They are young students between ages of sixteen to twenty five, who do not have enough artistic background and life experience, however this cannot hinder them from expressing their true artistic tendencies.
Naturally, these aforementioned reasons don’t reduce the importance and the true value of this exhibition. In contrary it should add to the importance of this art show. Actually it should stimulate more level of understanding and appreciation, that a group of young trainees were able to manage such a grand exhibition in a short time,
approximately eight months
The general message of the exhibition is valuable and hopeful. It is the beginning of a new movement, an indicator of profound changes in a new era, and a new step in the life of visual arts in Afghanistan, and this is a message of high importance to me.
To talk about the technical strength and weakness of this exhibition and wither this message is the determined and ensured selection or is the experience and search for a selection, is one of the debating dimensions of this exhibition. This exhibition identifies the quest for self-expression, and an experiment that enables the artist to reach self-identity. To accomplish this objective many exhibitions must be organized. The new artistic events should not be temporary exponent. It should be a continued process to encourage new artistic movement in the country. This kind of movement should emerge from the social and cultural needs of the society; not from personal choices.
Creation and development of contemporary schools arts of in the western countries have strong ties with the evolution of the societies. The development of new schools of thoughts and social changes expresses the spirit of an era.
But in some other cases, it is assumed that young painters in eastern countries were trying to quickly compensate the backwardness of their country’s art compare to western art, and these efforts were to the extent harried to get “the hundred-year western art be reviewed and adopted in one decade”. In this evaluation we encounter people, who managed to experience numerous methods and styles in the period of few months, and particularly these effects were more in the form rather than of its idea and concept caused artists follow particular styles that mostly were temporary and fast-passed approaches rather than being sustainable. So these approaches seem like an event rather than a process.
And some may oppose this opinion. And others consider this movement as an attempt to access the world of global dynamic art and the contemporary arts of Afghanistan taking a step into the global arts scene.
Some might think that paintings of this exhibition are a direct imitation of western art and a separation from traditional Afghan styles, and some may oppose this opinion. And others may consider this movement as an attempt to access the world of global dynamic art and a step forward for the contemporary artists of Afghanistan.
The method that was adopted in the center was based on the atmosphere that the thoughts and imaginations of the artists should be not bound by rules and standards of representation of visual realities, meanwhile the students were allowed to imitate the “isms” without putting their own thoughts on the canvas. As the result, working in such an open atmosphere the door for new experiments and self-expressions was opened.
What is noteworthy about these paintings is the fact that in-depth ideas and concepts were experimented. The result of these young artists creations in comparison to the work of experienced senior artists is beyond of our expectations.
From technical point of view, avoiding prospective and keeping away from the standard rules of naturalism and representational art is one of the most important characteristics of this collection. Simplification of the elements and forms, creation of a two-dimensional atmosphere and in some cases combination of two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms are the significant particularity of the exhibition.
In the eastern countries, although the modern artistic movements are generally considered a direct imitation of western culture, however, the representational art is more under criticism in the Islamic countries. The extremists are looking for an excuse to band pictorial arts for once and all, since representational art embodies human form and figures of living creatures, as they think this concept contradicts with the Islamic views. In this case the new symbolic and unrealistic paintings have more chance of acceptance in Islamic societies. If the pictorial arts in our country had more verity of style and technique, the visual arts would have not been forbidden during the Taliban Regime.
This exhibition is a new experience for our country’s painting and this is the reason that will starts all kind of reactions, perhaps some positive and some negative, however it will provide a new opportunity for novel thoughts and a search for new original artistic expressions, and also a new venture for the critics.
This exhibition is an unforgettable experience, but to keep the process alive the objective should be to enrich this new movement in terms of quality and quantity. It is also imperative to stay away from acceptance of political imposition and demands of the regimes.
The future vision for progress of pictorial arts in Afghanistan, in relation to global changes is a key question that can’t be answered by an individual or an institution. It is important that all the artists and those who feel the responsibility of advancement of arts in the country should declare their position and seek avenues to reach this goal.
Acknowledgement
This exhibition is the result of a one-year project funded by Women of the World Foundation (WWF) supporting this initiative aimed at encouragement of women in their artistic activities and promotion of their artistic talents. The CCAA greatly appreciates the WWF for their sympathy and genuine feelings towards the Afghan women, and women around the globe.
CCAA started to experiments and work on the implementation of this project in 2006, however with limited resources in hand, the execution of the project faced some difficulties at the beginning. In the stages of seeking solutions to make this project possible, we are grateful that WWF invited us to come to USA and propose our project to WWF officials for approval. We are glad that as a result of this trip the second phase of the project was started, that we are highly appreciative of WWF’s genuine cooperation to make this project possible.
It is worth mentioning that the preliminary painting training project was funded by OSI. Parallel to this project stated at the same center at the same at the same time as joint venture in a cooperative atmosphere and that was when the Female Artistic Centre was officially established. Without the cost-sharing of both funding sources, this projects couldn’t have had this much success. Therefore the OSI contribution is as voluble in materialization of this exhibition, and as a matter of a fact OSI has the privilege of being put in the list of fist donors that has supported the “Female Painting Exhibition Project”.
This exhibition was initially supposed to be held in the United States of America, but due to the various reasons, CCAA was this exhibition outside is held first in the home-country of its artists. Fortunately with the agreement from WWF and the support from other national and international entities such as HBF, ANDS, the US Embassy, Embassy of Spain and CRA there is a possibility for further expansion of this project. We highly appreciate the support all above respected donors. It is worth mentioning that the HBF is the prime funder of the exhibition has provided funding for the major activities of the center.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my dearest friends and colleagues, Mr. Nader Yama, Mr. Wahidullah Waisi and Mr. Lutfullah Dinar Khial for their sincere cooperation with this project.
With regards,
Rahraw Omarzad,
CCAA Director
A NOTE ON THE ARTWORK OF THE STUDENTS OF CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS IN AFGHANISTAN
It was a great delight, that during my short trip to Kabul in January of 2008, I was able to visit the “Center for Contemporary Arts in Afghanistan” and meet with the talented students of the center. It was indeed an extraordinary experience to see the artistic achievements of a group of young gifted Afghan girls who have dealt with the difficulties of wars and bitterness of life, but still express themselves in an effective manner through their powerful paintings. Their paintings, mainly created in a non traditional style, are expressive, creative and an honest translation of their personal experiences which adds to the originality of their artwork.
I was struck by the subject matters that they chose to portray in their art pieces. A woman with a ghostlike figure who is trying to take care of her children in a dark setting with a faded beam of light coming from a far away horizon, a shadowy profile of a young girl looking through a dark room that almost looks like a bird nest towards a dull sky, the bare feet of a young girl standing next to the stagnant water, but her reflection in the water looks like an upside down leafless tree, an empty uniform of a soldier in a dark background, broken into an even squares that indicates lack of security in the country, a young girl walking through an old door to a richer home but her eyes are covered by a golden bracelet, a women rising from a dark cemetery holding an empty blank canvas, a women lost in an impressionistic style green forest, where the green background color is juxtaposed with drops of red paint symbolizing the bloodshed in her surroundings, a green canvas divided by black horizontal lines, decorated with some Islamic designs and smile of a woman seen trough a narrow small square window, and an upside down television set with a portrait of a politician, symbolizing the emptiness of the media.
Most of the paintings are created in a non traditional modern style with smart choices of color and innovative compositions. The influences of various modern schools of Western Art such as impressionism, abstract geometric and abstract expressionism and touches of surrealism are evident in the work of the young students of the center, however, their freedom of choice in terms of deploying and mixing different styles in order to express their own original ideas, inspired by the socioeconomic condition that they live in, makes their work unique, valuable, and authentic.
The Western styles of pictorial arts made their way to Afghanistan in late 19 century and beginning of 20th century. The paintings of Musawer, also known as Maimanagi in romantic realism style, were among the very first example of European Art done by an Afghan artist. After the establishment of the school of fine arts, great Afghan painters such as Burishna, Ghousudine, Karim Shah and the rest painted the Afghan subject matters in western styles mostly in representational manner. The traditional style of genre which ruled Afghan art for a period of the century with out many drastic changes was followed by of some artists such as Maddam Shukuor, Neghah, Parsa, Harron Shirzad, and Hyderzad who explored modern styles of impressionism abstract and cubism in a Western manner in the 1960s. Later, the faculty and students of Kabul University Fine Arts Department explored the Modern Styles in a more in-depth fashion.
The work of the students of the “Center for Contemporary Arts in Afghanistan” is a continuation of a long artistic tradition, enriched by the authenticity of profound human feelings which represents the genuine sentiments and aspirations of young Afghan girls, a generation that has risen from the midst of wars, yet still hopeful to make their way towards a brighter future.
In conclusion, I would like to congratulate Mr. Rahraw Omrazad their teacher and mentor for a job well done.
Sincerely,
Hamid Naweed
Former Professor of Fine Arts at Kabul University
