Afghan Art Reaches the Moon

Yama has participated in over 25 solo and group exhibitions across Afghanistan and 15+ countries, including prominent venues such as Whitechapel Gallery in London, the Venice Biennale in Italy, and UCLA in Los Angeles. Since relocating to Germany in 2015, his work has been exhibited at EBS in Hattenheim, Frauen Museum Wiesbaden, and Nassauischer Kunstverein in Wiesbaden.

As a curator, Yama organized the online exhibition Hidden Statement – Art in Afghanistan, which has been showcased at various international venues, including the Venice Biennale, Linden Museum Stuttgart, Caritasverband Wiesbaden, Kunsthaus Hamburg, Gunzenhauser Museum in Chemnitz, NKV Wiesbaden, and Villa Massimo in Rome.

In 2025, Yama will curate Surviving Shadows at Apexart in NYC, a project selected through the NYC Open Call 2025. He is also the founder of Dream Team, which has facilitated the relocation of over 600 Afghan artists and their families to Germany.

Since 2022, Yama has worked as a Case Manager with the Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI), advocating for the rights of artists in exile. Beyond his professional work, Yama is a proud father of two sons.

During his studies, he participated in workshops in contemporary art, photography, and graphite at various institutions, including the Goethe-Institut. His work has been featured in several group exhibitions, including at the US Embassy, Canadian Embassy, UN Women, and the Green Village in Kabul.

In 2019, Waisuddin began his Master’s degree in Fine Arts and worked as a lecturer at the Institute of Fine Arts in Kabul. In 2021, he co-founded an art education center named Ostad Breshna in Kabul.

For Abdul Wasi, painting became a way to seek balance, allowing him to calm his mind and express his thoughts and emotions through colors on a blank canvas. He mastered the fundamental techniques of drawing and painting and pursued a professional path, drawing significant inspiration from nature and the works of renowned artists and professors.

He specializes in realism and impressionism, using oil on canvas with both brush and palette knife techniques, and has a deep appreciation for pencil drawing. With over 20 years of experience as a professional painter, Abdul Wasi has held exhibitions in several foreign countries and has taught painting to hundreds of students.

Through his artwork, Abdul Wasi has always aimed to convey a message of peace and philanthropy, highlighting society’s hidden pains and struggles. He is also a proud member of the Freedom Canvas Initiative (FCI), an organization dedicated to supporting the artistic freedom of Afghan artists. Currently, he resides in Germany.

In 2009, Ayatullah passed the entrance exam for the Faculty of Fine Arts at Kabul University, where he pursued his studies and graduated in 2012. Following his graduation, he worked as an assistant professor for two years at Balkh University, specializing in painting.

In 2015, Ayatullah successfully completed a one-year Russian language training program in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He continued his academic journey and graduated with a Master’s degree from the National Academy of Kazakhstan Artsin 2017.

After obtaining his Master’s degree, Ayatullah returned to teaching and worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Fine Arts at Balkh University from 2017 to 2021.

In 2006, Jahan Ara co-founded the Centre for Women Artists in Kabul, aiming to promote contemporary art through new commissions and serve as a platform for emerging female artists. Over the years, she has participated in numerous exhibitions both in Afghanistan and internationally, including Germany and India, as well as workshops in photography and documentary filmmaking.

In 2014, Jahan Ara co-established the Shamama Art Gallery in Kabul, a space dedicated to promoting art and community engagement. She also works as a full-time art teacher at SOLA, the first and only boarding school for girls in Kabul, funded by the US Embassy.

Her work primarily explores themes of women’s identity, social roles, and the limitations imposed on them. Through her art, she seeks to break the silence around these issues and empower women by challenging societal constraints. Jahan Ara’s paintings and biography have been featured in Art Asia Pacific Almanac (2016).

Notable Exhibitions:

• Afghan Cultural Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan (1998) – First prize among 500 paintings.
• Centre for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA), Berlin, Germany (2009).
• International Afghan Women’s Film Festival, Herat, Afghanistan (2015).
• Kabul Art Project, Canada (2015).
• India-Afghanistan Women Artists Show, New Delhi, India (2018).
• “Abroon”, Shamama Gallery, Kabul (2015).

“Sokut” , 2018 , and “Chahar Chob” , Berang Arts Gallery , Kabul (2019).

Her perspective began to shift when she participated in workshops led by international artists. These experiences expanded her imagination and broadened her artistic approach, although she feels that her desired result is still a work in progress. She remains driven by curiosity and the desire to explore new methods of expression, continuously experimenting in her art.

A central theme in her work has been the exploration of women’s lives and experiences. She focuses on this subject not only because she is a woman herself, but also due to her witnessing the power dynamics and challenges women face in a patriarchal society. Her mother’s life and struggles have had a profound influence on her artistic journey, deeply shaping her perspective on the subject of gender and societal roles.