Discovering Hassani

Shamsia Hassani 33 is an Afghan graffiti artist and professor of sculpture at the University of Kabul, through her works she tells the truth about the conditions of Afghan women living within the Taliban regime.
Born in 1988 in Tehran, Iran, she started to show an interest in painting from an early age, but she was not allowed to study arts, as this subject was forbidden to students coming from Afghanistan.
In 2005 she started studying traditional arts at the University of Kabul, then she found a job as a lecturer and later on as an associate professor of sculpture at university.
In December 2010 Shamsia learned the art of wall murals from Chu, a British artist. Soon after she decided to adopt this art form because spray cans and stencils were cheaper than traditional art supplies At first she practiced her art using the bombed walls of the houses in Kabul streets, becoming popular among its inhabitants.
Her works portray independent women as, by means of her murals, she has always tried to oppose to the oppression still suffered by Afghan women in their society. Her exhibits have been displayed in India, Iran, Germany, Italy and Switzerland and in the diplomatic missions in Kabul.
There are many messages that Hassani wants to launch through her murals. Her women are placed among the rubble, they are almost always represented with down cast eyes and without mouth and we can frequently find a pianola in their hands. They want to claim the opportunity to speak and devote themselves to arts, escaping from a reality that forbids any form of freedom.