Cindy and I had the pleasure of attending an art show for a dear Afghan refugee friend, Anita. We are grateful that St. Mary’s Girls School was so kind as to host her first American Art show. We bought our favorite drawing – you can see it here – not only because we love the expressions she captured, but also to support Anita. This little contribution is one way to support Anita’s father, mother, and sister, all of whom Anita cares for daily. Most of her art was created through countless hours in hospital rooms as she cared for her bed-ridden father. For over a dozen years, she has been the only healthy member of the family to provide for her father’s every need. Our Afghan Pastor met Anita in New Delhi, India where he helped Anita find her way to hospitals after her father’s stroke. Here is her story and the link to her Instagram page. You can view many of us at the art show, and see some of her work.
Hi! My name is Anita Biriya and I am an Afghan immigrant from that country’s third-largest city Herat. Situated on the old Silk Road, Herat is an ancient oasis in the western part of Afghanistan. When I was a young girl, around 6 or 7 years old, I loved to sit in quiet places and draw whatever I saw around me. All my childhood notebooks were full of paintings and drawings. Summer holidays were my favorite time because I could sit for whole days drawing and coloring.
Fortunately, I was able to go to college. At the Fine Art Faculty in Herat, I specialized in the Persian style of miniature painting. At that time I was often using watercolor or poster color on thick paper. In Afghanistan, my art was displayed in 3 group exhibitions. Also, while my family was staying for several years in India, I participated in 3 group exhibitions in New Delhi.
Around 2018, I started branching out with different materials and styles. Charcoal has become my favorite material. I like to select photos of different individuals and try to capture their emotions in my work. I especially try to focus on portraying the eyes of my subjects…because I believe “the eyes are the windows of the soul’.
Recently I have also been working with acrylic and oil. I am practicing painting animals, expressing their energy and emotion thru-body posture and movement.
Thank you for hearing my story – I hope you enjoy viewing my artwork. Should you be interested, I gladly accept commissions.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”(Matthew 6:22-23)