A woman whose paintings were burned by the Taliban has arrived in Belfast to study fine art at Ulster University.
Artist and musician Alina Gawhary got safe passage from Afghanistan to Bangladesh on March 5, 2023, with the help of music composer Sadie Harrison.
It is a process that took a year and a half.
Born into a big family in the Kabul province in 2004 Alina said that her life ‘totally changed’ when the regime came back into power.
“They stole my dreams and made my home a prison,” she said.
“Most subjects of my paintings are musical instruments as the situation didn’t let me play music. I wanted to show my interest through my paintings.
“The only thing I can do as an artist for my country and my family is to show beauty, unheard voices and beauty of music. I use my brushes as a weapon in front of the sad things happening in my country.
“I was one of the lucky young women who got out of Afghanistan with a scholarship to a university in Bangladesh. My paintings through Darren at Beyond Skin and friends are being sold to people around the world which is very exciting for me.”
Darren Ferguson, Chief Executive of Beyond Skin, an organisation which uses the arts as a tool for peacebuilding, worked with a collective to help Alina secure her visa to study in the North.
“Art is her passion and when the Taliban burned her paintings her dreams were shattered,” he explained.
“After getting safe passage to Bangladesh Alina had come over on a special visa to take part in International Women’s Day events here in Northern Ireland back in March and was offered a placement to study fine arts at Ulster University.
“Securing a visa for her to come permanently has been traumatic with a two-month delay. It has been touch and go with the Home Office but thankfully with the collective of people and organisations supporting her, she is here and she has her freedom to study art, which is a dream come true.
“It’s been a long journey but it is a victory for the young girls who have no freedom - to see Alina now studying in Belfast, they see it as a victory.”
