From March 23-27, the galleria of Georgetown’s Intercultural Center (ICC) was dotted with easels showcasing stylistically distinct yet thematically coherent artwork by three Afghan refugee artists. The exhibition was a partnership between student organization No Lost Generation (NLG) — a chapter of the national initiative dedicated to raising awareness about the global refugee crisis — and Afghanistan-based artist collective ArtLords.
Laura Logan (SFS ’27), co-president of NLG, said the exhibition used art as a means of protest and raising awareness, with the works highlighting the diverse and unique stories of refugees.
“It has the broader mission of trying to use art as a form of expression for resistance and kind of education,” Logan told The Hoya. “They tell a broader story of justice, displacement, identity, hope for a better future.”
The exhibition, curated by ArtLords’ president Omaid Sharifi, was based around a central theme of “nawroz,” which means “new day” in Farsi and refers to the Persian new year. A celebration of the arrival of spring, “nawroz” is a symbol of renewal and hope; this theme was perfectly embodied by all the exhibition’s works, despite the three distinct styles.
One painting, by artist Abdul Hakim Maqsoodi, featured a U.S. Air Force plane on the tarmac, with dozens of men running ecstatically, mid-celebration. Another of Maqsoodi’s paintings showed three travelers on one donkey — a mother in a vibrant green burqa with her two young children. Maqsoodi’s beautiful scenes of travel carried complex emotion, each brushstroke imbued with hope, anticipation, fear and resilience.
Across the room, a series of three easels carried miniature paintings in the style of traditional Afghan art by artist Mohammad Younus Qani. The trio embraced themes of home, community and connection to heritage. The Arabic script flowed alongside intricate, vibrant patterns with scenes blocked out by subjects mid-activity — scenes of life and liveliness.
The third collection, done by Fatima Wojohat, one of ArtLords’ youngest artists, tackled the experiences of female refugees healing from repression through portraits. Bright colors and somber subjects on blank backgrounds combined to emanate the complexities of childhood joy and anxieties amidst displacement.
Since expanding worldwide, past the blank walls of Kabul, Afghanistan, used as canvases for murals, Logan said ArtLords has maintained its driving goal while emphasizing its aim of serving as an instrument of education.
“Since it’s grown into more of a global movement, their work really focuses on defending artists’ freedom and trying to use art to educate and engage communities,” Logan said.
In addition to highlighting the aesthetic value and beauty of the artists’ creations, NLG sought to amplify ArtLords’ aim to promote artistic freedom and education through art.
Logan said even briefly engaging with refugee artwork and stories can serve as a gateway to deeper understanding.
“I think it’s really easy for our students to stay in a little bit of a bubble,” Logan said. “But I think engaging with deep global issues doesn’t always have to be doing very intensive research; that’s great if you have time to do that, but some students don’t, and this exhibit is meant to bridge that gap, to place these stories at the forefront of our vision.”
The vast array of styles between the works, from traditional Afghan miniatures to painted scenes of travel and partially-drawn portraits of women, was a welcome asset of the exhibition. It showcased the vastly different yet wholly similar experiences of the three artists — only the faintest sliver of the experiences of Afghan refugees, yet a lush and diverse selection of thematically harmonious pieces.
Altogether, the exhibition was both beautiful and impactful. Its prime location in the ICC galleria ensured broad visibility, and felt particularly poignant given the building is home to the School of Foreign Service (SFS). Many SFS graduates will likely go on to pursue careers where they make the decisions that either oust people from their countries, creating refugees, or foster sanctuary communities, welcoming refugees.
“It is horrible what goes on in the world,” Logan said. “But seeing people use art to communicate the fact that they can create beauty — it’s very inspiring and humanizing.”