Afghanistan
Artist: Nasima Sheerzoi
- Born 1948 in Kabul, Afghanistan
- 1969-75 Student at the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia
- Student of Fine Arts with a UN scholarship
- pedagogy Degree as painter (Diploma) with "Distinction"
- 1977-79: Post-graduate studies of Fine Arts, University of Belgrade
- Degree as Magister Painter (highest possible degree)
- 1979 Moved to Wesseling/Germany
- Exhibitions in Yugoslavia, Germany and the United States
Interpretation
The large Buddha statues of Bamian which were destroyed by bombs of the Taliban regime together with hundreds of other small statues in March 2001, are still the "Emblem of Afghanistan". And they are also World Cultural Heritage.
The global reaction to the destruction of the Buddha statues of Bamian was shock and helpless anger.
The Buddha statues had been set into the rocks. They were placed in a nice which protected it from erosion for approximately 1,500 years. The bear is similar to a stone relief. That's why I wanted the largest Buddha statue of Bamian (53 metres), the largest Buddha statue in the world, to be at the front. That proved to be impossible as the bear's belly curved too far outwardly. I therefore decided to paint the Buddha on the bear's back.
I've chosen the destroyed Buddha as the first (most important) motif to express my grief, my pain and rage over this loss as an, artist, as through its destruction more than an emblem of Afghanistan was lost.
Furthermore I've decided to ornate the bear with other sights, emblems, memorials and typical Afghan instruments plus the North Afghan national sport.
Nasima Sheerzoi
Sponsor: Botschaft der Islamischen Republik Afghanistan, Berlin