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DTSTART;TZID=America/Indiana/Indianapolis:20220805T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Indiana/Indianapolis:20220805T180000
DTSTAMP:20260421T132837
CREATED:20220608T215226Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220803T151147Z
UID:10027-1659686400-1659722400@www.bigcar.org
SUMMARY:Qahar Behzad: The Colors of Afghanistan
DESCRIPTION:Opening in Tube Factory artspace’s Guichelaar Gallery is a collection of works by Behzad created between the years 2011-2022 in Afghanistan and the US.\nBehzad grew up in Kabul in a family of book publishers\, surrounded by centuries-old historical texts and rare books of poetry in his father’s libraries and bookstores. Behzad remembers reading traditional Afghan storybooks his father published that directly influence the art he creates.\nBehzad paints about life in Afghanistan\, often from observation\, depicting places like Kabul’s busy bazaars and Afghanistan’s picturesque mountain ranges. He paints with depth and expressive color\, drawing inspiration from one of his favorite Western painters\, Claude Monet. Through these influences\, Behzad expresses his take on the rich and storied culture of his country.\nBehzad’s journey as an artist began in the mid-1990s\, when he was six years old. The Taliban had first emerged in his home country\, and Behzad’s family found safety in Pakistan. Not able to attend school yet\, he spent his days drawing. Here\, he completed his first artwork\, a drawing of former Afghan king\, Mairwais Naika\, after studying his portrait in a history book.\nHis family encouraged him to pursue development as an artist. “I had no real training or instruction in art\,” says Behzad. “I just sat down and began to draw. Everyone who looked at my drawings appreciated what my artwork stood for\, and pushed me to continue.”\nA few years later\, his family was able to resume life in their home country\, and Behzad began to explore painting in oil and watercolor. After the establishment of US military base Camp Eggers in Kabul\, Behzad became the first artist to display and sell artworks there. From 2005-2015\, he created daily in his studio on base\, producing thousands of drawings\, oil paintings\, and watercolors. Behzad’s studio became a haven of peace amid an otherwise hectic atmosphere. Soldiers and other military personnel could drop in for tea\, to observe Behzad’s creative process\, commission a painting\, or take a lesson with the artist.\nOne of the paintings featured in this exhibition\, Behzad Bookstore and Afghan Burqas was originally created by Behzad in 2009. In this piece\, a group of women dressed in traditional burqas read from shelves of books in his father’s shop in Kabul. The piece celebrates the new freedoms available to women after the first Taliban regime ended\, when they could leave their homes\, pursue education and learn their rights. In 2021\, these freedoms were again taken away. The Taliban is again denying the education and enlightenment of Afghan people\, and Behzad Bookstore has closed due to their threats. Behzad recreated this painting in 2022 to highlight this tragic regression\, and to remember better times in his country.\nBehzad’s works have gained international recognition. Some of these works include portraits of Queen Elizabeth ll commissioned by the British Ambassador to Afghanistan\, former US President George W. Bush\, for which Behzad received a personal letter of appreciation\, and former US President Barack Obama\, commissioned by his election campaign staff. The US Navy also commissioned a large canvas mural featuring a fleet of ships stationed in San Diego\, California. Behzad has completed many paintings for U.S diplomats and advisors\, NATO representatives\, and the government of Afghanistan.\n\nQahar Behzad Bio\nA self-taught artist from Kabul\, Afghanistan\, Abdul Qahar Behzad is now based in Indianapolis\, Indiana\, where he works as a Legal Assistant for Exodus Refugee Immigration. He earned a degree in Law and Political Science from Rana University in Kabul in 2020.\nBehzad was the first artist to display and sell his paintings at Camp Eggers\, a US military base in Kabul. From 2005 to 2018\, he operated painting studios there\, as well as at Camp Phoenix\, NKC (New Kabul Compound) Base\, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) “Resolute Support” Headquarters\, Camp Cobra\, and Camp Qula House\, where he created artworks for soldiers and military personnel.\nWhen Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021\, Behzad was working as an artist in Kabul. Amidst the chaos and violent takeover\, former commanding US officials\, many of whom served in the Indiana National Guard\, wrote letters of support to bring him to safety in the US. Behzad evacuated to Camp Atterbury\, Indiana\, where he volunteered as an interpreter for 4 months.\nBehzad is committed to helping other refugees like himself. He is working to bring the rest of his family to safety in the US\, and advocating for the evacuation of other Afghans who still live under threat of the Taliban every day.
URL:https://www.bigcar.org/event/qahar-behzad-the-colors-of-afghanistan/
LOCATION:IN
CATEGORIES:Garfield Park,Shelby St. Corridor,Visual Art
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Indiana/Indianapolis:20220805T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Indiana/Indianapolis:20221016T180000
DTSTAMP:20260421T132837
CREATED:20220701T141032Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220724T162745Z
UID:10079-1659722400-1665943200@www.bigcar.org
SUMMARY:LaShawnda Crowe Storm-Sister Song:The Requiem
DESCRIPTION:Sister Song: The Requiem is a community-based project that examines how art and community co-creation processes can be used to heal the intergenerational trauma associated with enslavement and its aftermaths. The project\, led by artist LaShawnda Crowe Storm\, blurs the lines between the public and private by transforming mundane places into sacred spaces through public rituals.  \n A requiem is an act of remembrance for the dead. How does honoring the dead give life to the living? How do the living remember their histories while creating new futures? How does embracing  history help us release specific traumas and move toward a future where healing is possible? We explore these questions through the community co-creation process that is at the heart of Requiem: womb making. \n Each womb is handcrafted and designed in wax by Crowe Storm\, then cast in aluminum. After casting is completed\, Crowe Storm invites artists and community members to choose a womb. Womb makers then adapt and modify the womb by following these simple directions: Make this into a talisman or spiritual object to heal your/our histories\, be willing to allow what needs to emerge to emerge\, and transform the womb to reflect a vision of healing. Each womb maker must also be willing to continuously ask themselves the question\, “How do I reclaim the ‘spirit of the womb’ when that spirit has been stolen\, harmed\, wounded?”  \n Requiem is the second iteration of Sister Song. The first included 8 wombs that were installed as part of the exhibit Keeper of My Mothers’ Dream (2017\, Indianapolis).   Requiem incudes nearly 50 vessels on exhibition: the wombs by the original 8 participants along with 40 others\, some invited by the original womb makers and others identified by Crowe Storm. In addition\,  some of the original 8 womb makers created new wombs. The exhibit also includes newly commissioned poems by Maria Hamilton Abegunde. \nParticipating womb makers include: Abegunde\, Afriye We-Kandodis\, Alice Berry\, Ariana Beedie\, Bambi Aldridge\, Breon Tyler\, Clare Wildhack-Nolan and Ezmae Wildhack-Cain\, D. Olivia Jones\,  Joyce Moore\, Juaquita Callaway\, Julia Rodreguiz \, Keesha Dixon\, Kianga Jinaki\, LaToya Marlin\, Lillis Taylor\, Malaika Baxa\,  Marilyn Kunkle\, Melissa Larimer\, Monica Johnson\, N’dieye Gray Danavall\, Phyllis Boyd\, Ronda Chapman\, Samantha Horton\,  Sharon Clark\, Shauta Marsh\, Stacia Murphy\, Stephanie Roberston\, Trish Williams\, Tysha Ahmad\, Uzuri Asad\, Val Tate\, Veronica Schwartz DeFazio\, Viola Moten Ratcliffe\, Yolanda Echols and Yvette Upton. \nLaShawnda Crowe Storm is a mixed media and community-based artist\, activist\, community builder and occasionally an urban farmer. Whether making artwork or sowing seeds\, she uses her creative power as a vehicle for dialogue around topics such as racial and gender violence\, social change and justice. At the core of her practice is a desire to create community; any community in which the process of making art creates a space for difficult discussions with an eye towards community healing. She has received numerous awards for art and community activism. Crowe Storm received an M.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2004. \nImage: LaShawnda Crowe Storm\, “Mother At The Crossroads\,” bronze\, 2021. Photographer: Polina Osherov. \nMade possible by Mr. & Mrs. Craig E Von Deylen and Laurel S Judkins with support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts\, The Arts Council of Indianapolis\, The Arts Council of Indianapolis and The Efroymson Family Fund.
URL:https://www.bigcar.org/event/lashawnda-crowe-storm-sister-songthe-requiem/
LOCATION:Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi)\, 1125 Cruft St.\, Indianapolis\, IN\, 46203\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garfield Park,Shelby St. Corridor,Visual Art
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