Afghan Artists Exhibit Works in Washington

By Vicki Silverman
Washington File Staff Writer

Show raises money for Afghan children and terrorism victims

Washington -- Afghan sculptor Amanullah Haidarzad designed the Afghan currency, created the Afghan flag, and sculpted the national emblem before fleeing the communist regime in 1979. He came, with his young family, from Kabul to New York City. Without support or a portfolio, he rebuilt his career to become a prominent member of the National Sculpture Society based in New York.

As a personal response to tragedies of September 11 and to the Taliban atrocities in Afghanistan, Haidarzad created a special medallion. Pictured in the center of the eight-inch bronze disc is a relief of the World Trade Center Towers billowing smoke from the deadly attacks.

At the base of the towers, he depicted Afghanistan's great Bamiyan Buddha statue, surrounded by clouds of dust and debris. The Taliban regime dynamited this ancient, monumental work of art in March 2001. Around these scenes, Haidarzad placed the words "WORLD TERRORISTS ARE DESTROYING CIVILIZATION."

This medallion inspired several young Afghan Americans to organize an exhibition his work, along with that of other Afghan artists who form the living legacy of the Institute of Fine Arts in Kabul. Ira Pinto and Peter Zebert, the owners of the "Worlds Away Design" gallery in Washington, volunteered their support and gallery space to help the Afghan community mount "Healing Portrayals: An Afghan Art Exhibit," which opened February 28.

Amanullah Haidarzad donated his bronze medallion to this exhibit. It, along with the paintings and drawings of other contemporary Afghan artists, are being sold to raise money for Afghanistan relief.

Evocative Afghan music, played by rabab, tabula and sitar players, graced the opening night of the exhibit. Farhad Azad, the curator of the show and editor of the online cultural digest "Afghanmagazine.com," said the exhibit is a step in rejuvenating Afghan heritage.

"Afghanistan had a past, rich in art and literature," Azad explained. "In the 1970's, the National Gallery of Art in Kabul housed over 700 contemporary works. At most, 50 of these can be found today, after years of pillage and destruction."

Youssef Kohzad -- painter, playwright and founder of the National Gallery in Kabul -- believes this destruction explains why so many Afghan artists have turned their attention to the school of realism. Two of Kohzad's new works are featured in the exhibit; one depicts the rooftops of Kabul, lightly festooned with colorful washing hung out to dry.

"These are the simple things that have been destroyed. Artists fled Afghanistan but never far from their roots." Azad explained. Azad is planning to make two trips to Afghanistan this year.

Azad, along with Weis Sherdel of the American Society of Afghan Professionals (ASAP) and fellow organizer Samira Atash Ali of Humanity in Crisis, are young American professionals who are very conscious of their Afghan heritage.

"The Afghan community here in the United States is so diverse, but still very close-knit," says 26-year old fashion designer Samira Atash Ali. "We have kept the culture alive over the past 21 years through weddings, concerts and student organizations." She stressed the importance the younger generation placed on maintaining their language.

They have been very active over the past several months raising money to aid Afghanistan and the victims of September 11. Sherdel said the funds would go for immediate Afghan relief efforts, to be distributed by organizations with low administrative costs.

"Mercy Corps met our standards. We'd also been impressed with a clothing drive for Afghanistan that they ran from Portland, Oregon," he told the Washington File. Mercy Corps is a non-profit aid organization, with offices in the United States and Scotland, that operates in over 25 countries around the world.

Over 100 visitors attending the opening of "Healing Portrayals." Representative of the Afghan Interim Authority in Washington, Charge d'Affaires Haron Amin, thanked all involved in this special effort and praised its promise for the future.

Amanullah Haiderzad's bronze medallion was purchased that same evening by a private individual and then donated for display at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)