Tag Archives: Afghanistan

Flowers East 2

Edmund Clark – The Mountains of Majeed, Flowers Gallery, 82 Kingsland Road, London E2, until 4th April 2015

Edmund Clark, The Mountains of Majeed 2, 2014 (c) Edmund Clark, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery, London and New York

Edmund Clark,
The Mountains of Majeed 2, 2014
(c) Edmund Clark, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery, London and New York

Edmund Clark is now also represented by the gallery and this exhibition reflects on the ending of ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ in Afghanistan using photography, found imagery and Taliban poetry.

Edmund Clark, The Mountains of Majeed 3, 2014 (c) Edmund Clark, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery, London and New York

Edmund Clark,
The Mountains of Majeed 3, 2014
(c) Edmund Clark, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery, London and New York

It is a view on the experience of many of those based at Bagram Airfield, America’s largest base in Afghanistan, who never actually engaged with the enemy. Clark thoughtfully contrasts the man-made landscape within the camp with the mountains of the Hindu Kush which dominate the horizon and landscape both within and outside the camp’s perimeter.  The surrounding landscape is reproduced in murals and landscapes within the base’s buildings and it was a particular series of paintings in a dining facility by an artist named Majeed that inspired Clark. He says of them “How many tens of thousands of pairs of western eyes have registered the pastoral peace of these mountainscapes? Has anyone considered what they say of the country they are playing a part in occupying?”

Edmund Clark, The Mountains of Majeed 2, 2014 (c) Edmund Clark, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery, London and New York

Edmund Clark,
The Mountains of Majeed 2, 2014
(c) Edmund Clark, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery, London and New York

Majeed’s paintings are shown reproduced as a series of picture post cards and as Clark says of the mountains depicted in them “There is distance between these mountains. Vistas of tranquility fabricated by hand from canvas, wood and paint. Images from an enclave captured in high resolution by the latest digital technology. Two cultures divided by landscape and time. Ever present mountains forever beyond boots confined for a duration, within walls of occupation, on a ground of gravel and tarmac. And there is convergence. Both are mountains of the imagination. Both are representations of enduring freedom; and in both the mountains belong to Majeed.”

 

WWW.FLOWERSGALLERY.COM

Arabella Dorman – Before The Dawn

Arabella Dorman – Before The Dawn, La Galleria Pall Mall, 5B Pall Mall, 30 Royal Opera Arcade, London SW1

Flying the Afghan Flag, Field Study

Flying the Afghan Flag, Field Study

This exhibition is the product of the artist’s trips to Afghanistan over the past five years and as her pictures clearly reveal she lived alongside both the local people and the armed forces. Her images show how lives are affected by conflict, whether troops or the local people – especially the children, of whom those under fourteen make up almost half of the population. She also depicts the landscape that is the background to daily life and conflict.

The Extraction, 2013, Oil on Canvas, 30 x 44 in, 2014

The Extraction, 2013,
Oil on Canvas, 30 x 44 in, 2014

Arabella has been sponsored in this project by the Afghan entrepreneur Mirwais Alizai who became the family breadwinner at an early age. He says of her works Her work gets behind the stories and headlines to capture Afghanistan and the lives of its people that are hidden from Western eyes. Arabella depicts the real country – a place where the darker effects of conflict are balanced by optimism and ambition. In doing so, she powerfully portrays progress and hope and attests to a deep understanding of the Afghan people and locale.

King of the Skies, Watercolour, 20 x 14 in, 2014


King of the Skies,
Watercolour, 20 x 14 in, 2014

There is an Afghan proverb which says – However tall the mountain is, there’s a road to the top of it. Let us sincerely hope given the sacrifices made and endured that it may be travelled and prove a peaceful place for all.

The Ploughers, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 54 in, 2014


The Ploughers,
Oil on Canvas, 36 x 54 in, 2014

There are a series of fundraising events in aid of Afghanaid and Walking With The Wounded with expert guest speakers.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, (Series of 9), Oil on Canvas, 30 x 38 in, 2014

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, (Series of 9),
Oil on Canvas, 30 x 38 in, 2014

http://www.lagalleria.org

http://www.arabelladorman.com

all images are copyright