Band-e Amir Lakes in Afghanistan
Band-e-Amir is a chain of lakes in Afghanistan. It’s the landscape in the background of my painting that supports the figure within. The Taliban officially banned women from public parks, including Band-e-Amir National Park. As a girl who was born in Afghanistan but had to flee the war I have never been, but I have longingly painted its blue hues. I close my eyes and imagine the splash of cold water against my skin. Sometimes, I dream of walking barefoot to the water’s edge, stripping off years of exile. I imagine diving into the turquoise waters, fully clothed and defiant with the playful laughter of other girls echoing around me, embraced by our native waters.
Zuhal Feraidon • she/her • Afghanistan
Zuhal Feraidon is an artist born in Afghanistan. She immigrated to the United States as a refugee of war in 2005. She received her undergraduate degree in Studio Arts from The University of Virginia and her MFA in Painting from The Rhode Island School of Design. Zuhal has exhibited nationally and internationally and has been published in a book titled “The Art of Being Dangerous: Exploring Women and Danger through Creative Expression” by Leuven University Press in Belgium. Her artistic interest is concerned with social identity and the politics of representation. Zuhal’s work focuses on resilience, strength, and survival in response to the circumstance of war and gender based violence.
