ART

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Geety Natiq

Afghan artist whose work, among those of eighteen others, was on show in Delhi recently

interviewed by Shruti Ravindran

What themes does your work address?
My work is about women’s problems.
Can you give an example from your pieces?
My work The World of Darkness is a silent but meaningful video about a burqa-clad woman going about her chores.
Since what age have you been painting?
I’ve been good at it since I was a child.
How did you get to study art?
When I returned to Kabul from Pakistan after the (Soviet-Afghan) war, I wanted to study art but I was told it was too difficult, that it was just for boys... I didn’t listen. There was just one girl in my class, and it was enough for me to feel confident.
How have you been part of the resurgence of art in your country?
I’m an artist, art teacher, and a founder member of the Centre for Contemporary Art Afghanistan, the first arts centre for women.
What’s your favourite school of painting?
Contemporary art. We’re not forced to paint a certain way in this medium, and it allows our hearts and minds complete freedom.
Did you face opposition from your family when you chose to be an artist?
No. They encouraged me. Everyone in my family is artistically inclined: my father does stone sculptures, as does one of my brothers, and my little sister very nearly became a painter, though she’s an engineer now! I’m lucky I have an open-minded family that trusts me.
Most familes don’t?
Approximately five or 10 per cent of families in Afghanistan are like mine. The rest don’t even allow women to study!
Does art have a future in Afghanistan?
Today, art can be studied only in Kabul and Herat. But we wish there were workshops and exhibitions in every province of the country!
What does art mean to you?
Art is life! There are no limits in art.