OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Threads that won’t break, links in a chain that stretch the limits of war and repression—the work in this show at the 1515 Art Gallery, which includes exquisite embroidery, handmade clothing, lapis jewelry, and even hand picked saffron, is made by women artists and artisans in secret beneath the Taliban regime, then smuggled out to the world. “It’s not easy,” said Afghan artist Hasina Aimaq. For more than 20 years, as the Taliban were pushed into the shadows, Aimaq and her mother patiently produced their own work and made connections to show work from other women artists.
“All those struggles and challenges through those 20 years, more specifically the women? Everything was gone in a minute,” she said. Her own art made a statement. She fashions beautiful dresses from traditional head-to-toe burkas.
“I have a freedom of choice on how I want to use it,” she smiles. A long way from Afghanistan and within the supportive confines of the gallery, Hasina can expand on her art and the work of the friends she had to leave behind. “My vision was that I had to open the doors for them,” she argues.
“I need to connect them with the world.” previous More Great State Stories Art made by women artists smuggled to an OKC gallery .cls-3{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} An old Dill City store brought back to life .
cls-3{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Student artists gather annually at Quartz Mountain .cls-3{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Her family was.
