It’s evening, and the last rays of sunlight, casting an orange hue across the canvas of paintings that have now changed their colors and mood, are spreading. Sitting amidst a multitude of paintings, she gazes sorrowfully at her artistic creations. On one hand, she worries about the darkening sky, and on the other, she despairs at the paintings that do not bear any Islamic inscriptions—works deemed un-Islamic by the Taliban, who label their creators as infidels and subject them to trial. Following the Taliban’s latest decision to impose restrictions on educational centers and art galleries where girls above the sixth grade are not allowed, Tamanna, the artist, has become disillusioned with continuing her artistic endeavors. She is striving to close her last source of income and abandon the dream she has lived her whole life.
Tamanna (pseudonym) is a graduate of graphic design from the Faculty of Fine Arts, at Kabul University. She is among the artists who have been engaged in creating artworks for the past seven years and has had many works in the field of painting; however, the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan has led her to remain confined to producing works that the Taliban desire, abandoning the extensive and beneficial activities she used to engage in during the previous government in the field of art.
The imposition of countless restrictions on art and artists, coupled with the exodus of many artists from the country, has led Tamanna to confine her artistic work to calligraphy and landscape painting. To prevent the decline of art and the eternal decay of the profession that she and her colleagues had strived tirelessly to advance over the past twenty years, she succeeded in establishing an art gallery in one of the areas in Kabul. For more than two years, she has taught painting and calligraphy to many teenage girls and boys in this gallery. Tamanna says, “After the Taliban’s takeover, art suffered an unprecedented decline once again. Alongside the fading of the art profession, many artists left the country. Many also abandoned this profession. Those of us who remained have always tried to ensure that the achievements of the past twenty years are not completely lost.”
The Taliban’s increasing restrictions and their efforts to isolate women in society have prompted Tamanna to stand up against the wishes of this group. She has faced numerous difficulties so far and has not given in: “Working under current conditions, especially as a girl, is very challenging and requires patience, resilience, and tolerance of all sorts of unpleasant remarks from Taliban members and some people who think like them. Perhaps a few female artists are working under current conditions and have not given in, but they face thousands of problems, and the Taliban do not allow them to work.”
To preserve her art and livelihood, Tamanna has restricted her profession to painting landscapes and calligraphy, as the Taliban group seeks to exploit even the slightest mistake she makes and strip her of her last source of income and the dream she beautifully paints with colors: “After the return of the Taliban, art has become confined to calligraphy and landscape painting, and anything other than that puts the artist at risk of detention, torture, and sometimes verbal humiliation. Since I established the gallery, hardly a week has passed without the Taliban inquiring about us. Sometimes, they come twice a week, inspecting everywhere. If they see a painting that doesn’t please their taste and deem it un-Islamic, they issue harsh and contemptuous warnings, threatening to shut down the gallery if they encounter such artworks again.” In the confinement of the room where she strives to revive the art, nothing is seen except Islamic inscriptions and paintings depicting various landscapes of Afghanistan’s provinces. This has constrained her work, gradually erasing other forms of art such as anatomy and diverse designs from her repertoire.
The Taliban’s increasing restrictions and hostile behavior in enforcing moral codes have led Tamanna to reduce her activities after nearly three years of struggle, following the group’s order to prohibit all male students from entering her art gallery. Female students also gradually abandon art education out of fear of this group. She says, “When the moral police come, all students, especially girls, tremble with fear. Because, in addition to inspecting the artwork, they also pay attention to my and my students’ attire. Sometimes they stop all the girls and see what they’re wearing. If they don’t wear the black veil, they stop everyone and engage in verbal humiliation for over an hour. This action by the Taliban causes the number of my students to decrease every day.”
However, the latest Taliban misogynistic move, banning girls above the sixth grade from attending schools and closing the doors of several of these centers in Kabul, has left Tamanna feeling hopeless about continuing her artistic work. With a choked throat from suppressed tears, she says after much resistance, “I didn’t think after all this effort and enduring numerous humiliations, I would face defeat, but I’m forced to close my art gallery.”
The orange glow, which just minutes ago showcased itself through her window, casting a warm hue across the room, is now gone, succumbing to darkness. Tamanna also takes a deep look at her art gallery as a farewell gesture, picking one piece among the abundant artworks and saying, “This was my first piece, it means a lot to me, but it has been gathering dust for over two years now, unable to see the light of day out of fear of Taliban’s oppression.”