Wounded, ravaged, exploited from all sides, and mourning without end for so many decades, Afghanistan is still a country of beauty... too often hidden (the burqa being the most well-known instrument of this concealment). Since the Taliban took power on August 15, 2021, they have relentlessly made women invisible, depriving them of their faces, voices, and education. This exhibition, bringing together the work of two photographers—one Afghan, the other French—reveals Afghan women in front of men surrounded by flowers. The aim is to honor beauty wherever it is found, revealing another Afghan face.
Born in Afghanistan, Fatimah Hossaini photographed women who, for the occasion, were freed from their burqas but dressed in their traditional attire. Through clothing, she pays tribute to the many ethnic groups that populate her country: Pashtuns, Hazaras, Uzbeks... as well as to the richness of craftsmanship. Sensitive to the vibrant colors and embroidered patterns of these true "textile jewels," the photographer stages them to better reveal the strength and grace of her heroines. Her work, entitled "Beauty at the Heart of War," speaks of the hidden splendor of these women, erased by endless wars.
A Frenchwoman and unconditional lover of Afghanistan, Oriane Zerah has lived in Kabul since 2011. After a brief exile of three weeks in August 2021, she decided to "return home." A crazy and reckless decision. She had sworn not to live under the Taliban regime... A photographer (reminding us that the representation of human beings is prohibited in Islam), a woman, free and independent, she is everything the Taliban abhor. Trained in dramatic arts, Oriane Zerah worked for the Théâtre du Soleil before discovering photography in 2010. A great traveler, she has stayed in India and Pakistan. Alongside photographic reports for the international press, she enjoys, like Fatimah Hossaini, photographing hidden beauty, the most unsuspected beauty, which she knows how to find in every corner of the country. Living there, she has come to understand the Afghan love for flowers, which they surround themselves with as soon as spring arrives. Portraits of men, smiling and sensitive, posing for the camera, proud to hold a rose, bring it to their nose, or decorate their pakol, the traditional wool hat, with it.
In a dialogue made possible by the scenographic setup, Afghan men here can offer flowers to unveiled Afghan women without fear of reprisal. The exhibition creates an imaginary world, a dream where all flowers are allowed, open, and free, a world where men no longer carry weapons, where women sing and dance.
Exhibition Curator: Charlotte Urbain
