Shamsia Hassani, ArtWalk Ventura Global Artist of Distinction 2017

Shamsia Hassani, one of Afghanistans first female street artists, makes vibrant murals and paintings depicting women as strong, independent figures. The women often carry and/or play musical instruments, which provide them with a voice, a vehicle for self-expression. Women wear the burqa, which Westerners often assume is a form of oppression, but in Hassani’s work, the transparent fabric reveals the strength and humanity of the woman beneath, despite her covering. Shes attempting to point out that choosing to wear the burqa or hijab is not the issue, women will not truly be free until they can speak for themselves and be heard. Hassani aims to destigmatize the misperceptions of Muslim women by illustrating that removing the headscarf is not the same as liberating women.