The Ambassador of Afghanistan to Australia will attend the opening of a new art exhibition at the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery this weekend, which documents the realities of life for women living under the Taliban.
Internationally renowned photographer, Muzafar Ali, secretly returned to his homeland in 2024 to capture images of women and girls who have suffered extreme repression since Taliban insurgents seized power in Kabul.
Mr Ali's exhibition, Finding Hope in Afghanistan will open on Saturday 15 February and includes powerful photographs of girls risking their lives to attend underground schools.
The work of the Hazara refugee has also attracted interest from the Afghanistan Ambassador in exile to Australia, Wahidullah Waissi and Afghanistan expert, Emeritus Professor Bill Maley, who will both travel to Nowra this weekend to view the exhibition.
Mr Ali said he hopes his exhibition will allow the community to reflect on Australia's military involvement in Afghanistan and the lasting impact the war has had on his homeland.
"The people who supported the Australian forces are still stuck in Kabul. I want to raise awareness that we have immense responsibilities to save those people's lives," Mr Ali said.
"Australia as a country can play a role, to put pressure on the Taliban to at least allow women to get an education, to allow minorities like Hazaras to live in peace in Afghanistan, on their ancestral lands.
"That is my main message during this exhibition. We want peace in Afghanistan," he said.
The opening of Mr Ali's exhibition coincides with a celebration to mark the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery's 21st Birthday year. The event will be attended by the gallery's founders, Anna Glynn and Allan Baptist as well as Mayor, Patricia White.
"This exhibition is credit to the reputation of our gallery that's been developed over the last two decades and attracting incredible performances and artworks such as we're seeing there now," Cr White said.
"The gallery is a centrepiece of our city, home to cultural and creative expression of our local, national and international arts communities," she said.
Three additional exhibitions will also open at the gallery on Saturday including Single Channel, Analog and New Horizons 2025.
Single Channel, a touring exhibition from the National Gallery of Australia, brings together moving image artworks from 2000 to 2019 by some of Australia's most nationally and internationally significant artists. The works explore notions of identity in powerful, unexpected and mesmerising ways.
Analog is a curated performance event that has the atmosphere of a backyard BBQ. It connects deeply and intentionally to artistic practice, to conversations and to enjoying each other's company. The exhibit is curated by Kaz Therese and Bec Dean, in collaboration with Jawad Yacoubi and Mahdi Mohammadi.
New Horizons 2025 showcases some of the youngest, emerging artists from across the Shoalhaven, exploring themes of identity, culture, art and life in Nowra.
The gallery will be open to the public on Saturday 15 February between 4pm and 6pm.
