TWO days after the Taliban seized Kabul last month, 26-year-old artist Sara took the terracotta plates she'd painted with images praising inspirational Afghan women and hurled them to the ground.
"Art, for me, was to be able to express everything I couldn't say with words," she said from the capital. "It dealt mainly with violence against women."
The last Taliban regime from 1996 to 2001 saw women brutally suppressed, as well as music banned and the destruction of artworks and heritage, including dynamiting ancient statues of the Buddha.
The hardline movement have insisted their new regime will be different, but like many other artists who have destroyed their work, or musicians who have broken their instruments, Sara is terrified.
"Art is my life," said Sara, who asked for her real name not to be used. "I no longer have a future."
- Guerilla graffiti -
Kabul has changed dramatically since the Taliban were last in power, and Sara is part of a social media-savvy youth who grew up in a capital where arts and culture were flourishing.
Now, with others, she plans to use art to protest against the Taliban, hoping to work with a collective of guerilla graffiti painters to spread their message.
"I want to go out at night and paint anti-Taliban stencil art," she said.
Another artist, 19-year-old Maryam, whose name AFP has also changed for this story, plans to post digital anti-Taliban creations on Instagram.
One example; a little girl unzips the top of a burqa, from which doves escape.
"Art is dying in Afghanistan," she said. "I will fight against the Taliban, not with weapons but with my work."
- 'Dark and uncertain' -
Ramin Mazhar was still a child when the Taliban were last in power in Kabul.
Two decades later, and now living in France, he has become one of Afghanistan's most recognised poets.
"You are not afraid of love, of hope, of tomorrow," he recites in Dari, verses that have become an anthem for Afghan youth. "I kiss you amid the Taliban, you are not afraid!"
His poetry, turned into songs, has been watched hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube. But when Mazhar recently tried to search for it, it had already been erased.
People are destroying work and deleting their social media posts in artistic "suicide", Mazhar said.
"Many have been forced to self-censor to protect their lives in fear. This makes the future of art dark and uncertain in Afghanistan. We don't know where we are headed."
But Mazhar does not want to give up.
"Art exists wherever a human exists," he said. "Maybe art will continue secretly, underground, or illegally."
In Paris, artist Rada Akbar is planning an exhibition of miniature paintings to illustrate that "the Taliban are not the real Afghanistan, and that they do not represent the history and culture of the country".
Actress Yasamin Yarmal fled to France last month with her family, like dozens of her peers.
In 1997 the Taliban searched her house and beat her disabled son to death, she said. "I didn't want to go through that again."
"Art can open people's minds, so of course the Taliban are afraid of artists," she added.
Many of those who remain in Afghanistan are holed up at home, fearful of going out, and worried about how to earn a living.
Sodaba, an actress, said she has received threatening phone calls claims AFP was not able to verify and lives in a "nightmare" of fear.
"We have a WhatsApp group with other artists," she said. "People say the Taliban have established a list of people to find, and I'm afraid to be part of it."
- 'A click away' -
But Farshad, one of the founders of ArtLords, an Afghan collective that previously covered the walls of Kabul with hundreds of murals promoting peace and women's rights, still has hope.
He said unlike during the Taliban's previous rule, people can now access art, music and films through the internet.
"The world is a click away from them," he said. "So it will be very hard for the Taliban to impose or sanction art."
Many ArtLords murals have already been replaced by drab propaganda slogans as the Taliban reimpose their austere vision.
Farshad is now in Paris, but asked to speak under a pseudonym, because he wants to return to Kabul to help other artists escape.
He pulls out one of the ArtLords' most famous works a Taliban fighter with a rocket launcher packed with pencils instead of ammunition.
"I don't think art will die in Afghanistan," he said. "I am sure one day the Taliban movement will die, but art will be there."
ETX Studio
Wed Sep 22 2021
!['Art is dying': Afghan artists hope to resist Taliban rule 'Art is dying': Afghan artists hope to resist Taliban rule](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2021-09/61632285544_TALIBAN.jpg)
Many artists who remain in Afghanistan are holed up at home, fearful of going out, and worried about how to earn a living. - ETX Studio
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air, sekali gus mengurangkan kebergantungan pada perbelanjaan kerajaan dan mengukuhkan daya tahan.
Saya tak fitnah Guan Eng, cuma jelaskan siasatan SPRM - Muhyiddin
Presiden Bersatu Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini bahawa beliau tidak memfitnah Lim Guan Eng berhubung isu pengecualian cukai terhadap Yayasan Albukhary
KPT alu-alukan dapatan, cadangan PAC - Zambry
Ini termasuklah cadangan pelaksanaan Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024 kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT).
![Afghanistan siap sedia sambut Aidiladha meski berdepan cabaran ekonomi Afghanistan siap sedia sambut Aidiladha meski berdepan cabaran ekonomi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/51718507756_afghanistandaging.jpg)
Afghanistan siap sedia sambut Aidiladha meski berdepan cabaran ekonomi
Kadar pengangguran dan kemiskinan yang tinggi mengurangkan kuasa beli rakyat Afghanistan secara drastik, menyukarkan mereka untuk melaksanakan ibadah korban.
![Tehran dakwa penjajahan asing sebagai punca utama masalah Afghanistan Tehran dakwa penjajahan asing sebagai punca utama masalah Afghanistan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-04/71713357385_tbAfghanwoman.jpg)
Tehran dakwa penjajahan asing sebagai punca utama masalah Afghanistan
Punca masalah dan cabaran Afghanistan ialah pendudukan negara itu sebelum ini dan kurangnya perhatian terhadap pembangunan ekonominya oleh bekas penjajah.
![Pilihan raya Pakistan: Perkhidmatan rangkaian mudah alih digantung, sempadan ditutup Pilihan raya Pakistan: Perkhidmatan rangkaian mudah alih digantung, sempadan ditutup](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-02/81707382428_TBgeneralelection.jpg)
Pilihan raya Pakistan: Perkhidmatan rangkaian mudah alih digantung, sempadan ditutup
Pihak berkuasa Pakistan menggantung perkhidmatan mudah alih dan menutup sempadan dengan negara jiran Afghanistan dan Iran selepas insiden pengeboman.
![150,000 wanita dan sektor kesihatan, hak tidak diabaikan - Menteri Kesihatan Awam Afghanistan 150,000 wanita dan sektor kesihatan, hak tidak diabaikan - Menteri Kesihatan Awam Afghanistan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-09/71662523236_Afghanistan.jpg)
150,000 wanita dan sektor kesihatan, hak tidak diabaikan - Menteri Kesihatan Awam Afghanistan
Seramai 150,000 wanita berkhidmat dalam sektor kesihatan Afghanistan ketika ini dengan pelbagai cabang kepakaran.
![Afghanistan ketika ini 100 peratus aman - Menteri Kesihatan Awam Afghanistan Afghanistan ketika ini 100 peratus aman - Menteri Kesihatan Awam Afghanistan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-04/41682072388_TBafghan.jpg)
Afghanistan ketika ini 100 peratus aman - Menteri Kesihatan Awam Afghanistan
Situasi di Afghanistan jauh lebih baik berbanding 20 tahun lalu yang menyaksikan ratusan orang maut akibat peperangan.
![Afghanistan perlu raih semula penghormatan untuk membangun - Penganalisis Afghanistan perlu raih semula penghormatan untuk membangun - Penganalisis](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-12/71703158101_Herizal.jpg)
Afghanistan perlu raih semula penghormatan untuk membangun - Penganalisis
Afghanistan perlu memecahkan persepsi negatif terhadap negaranya dan meraih semula penghormatan komuniti antarabangsa untuk membangun.
![Genosid di Gaza hancurkan 'kredibiliti' pertubuhan dunia - Afghanistan Genosid di Gaza hancurkan 'kredibiliti' pertubuhan dunia - Afghanistan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-11/81699770973_TBAlShifahospital.jpg)
Genosid di Gaza hancurkan 'kredibiliti' pertubuhan dunia - Afghanistan
Afghanistan mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya rejim Israel itu kerana meneruskan pengeboman yang membunuh ratusan rakyat Palestin sejak jeda kemanusiaan tamat pada Jumaat.
![Gempa bumi landa barat laut Afghanistan, 100 cedera Gempa bumi landa barat laut Afghanistan, 100 cedera](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-10/51696689815_AfghanistanGempa.jpg)
Gempa bumi landa barat laut Afghanistan, 100 cedera
Sekurang-kurangnya 100 orang cedera selepas satu lagi gempa bumi kuat berukuran 6.3 pada skala Richter menggegarkan barat laut Afghanistan pada Ahad.
![80 cedera dalam gempa bumi kuat di Afghanistan 80 cedera dalam gempa bumi kuat di Afghanistan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-10/81696720086_Afghanistanearthqua.jpg)
80 cedera dalam gempa bumi kuat di Afghanistan
Menurut penduduk tempatan, kebanyakan mangsa yang cedera telah dibawa ke hospital.
![Angka kematian gempa bumi Afghanistan meningkat lebih 2,000 orang Angka kematian gempa bumi Afghanistan meningkat lebih 2,000 orang](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-10/81696720086_Afghanistanearthqua.jpg)
Angka kematian gempa bumi Afghanistan meningkat lebih 2,000 orang
Lebih 2,000 orang maut selepas beberapa gempa bumi kuat menggegarkan barat Afghanistan pada Sabtu.