Post by StormInateacup on Jun 26, 2012 18:29:44 GMT -5
The Refugee Art Project are sponsoring exhibits of work by refugees currently living in Australia. The artists are all in Detention or have been in Detention and now living in the community.
It's called Life in Limbo and is being held at two venues: The Blue Mountains and Sydney.
Life in Limbo follows from last year’s highly successful fear+hope exhibition and will showcase new works from current and former detainees of Australia’s detention centers.
The exhibition will feature inspiring artworks by asylum seekers from such countries as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Burma and Pakistan.
They have gathered works from numerous detention centres across the country, which reflect the diverse talents of our contributors and offer heart rending insights into the pain, loss and trauma suffered by the artists.
Similar art shows have been arranged before by a number of community based projects. Refugees got talent was one which uneartheed the gifted Hazara artist Ghulam Sakhi Hazara whose pain filled self portrait appears below.
I believe there are similar endeavours organised by community art projects on both the US and the UK.
Please keep an eye out for them. Go along to any exhibits you note in your area and if you can, buy a piece. All proceeds are returned to the artists and to the communities from which they come. Usually the money is used to buy more art supplies or to fund art projects esp with young people who have been part of the refugee experience.
These people so desperately need to have their voices heard. Their stories have been too long untold.
They are kept faceless, silent, unseen. It is easier to convince the populace that they are worthy of the oppression they suffer if no one knows who they are - and what they have suffered.
Their art speaks volumes.
