As a Hazara artist from Pakistan, my work is a visual exploration of identity, displacement, and resilience. Through my paintings, I delve into the complex history of the Hazara people, marked by persecution, forced migration, and the ongoing search for belonging.
My art is deeply rooted in the Hazara experience, beginning with our exodus from Afghanistan in 1895 due to British-backed genocidal campaigns ordered by the Amir Abdur Rahman. This historical trauma, coupled with more recent targeted violence in Quetta following the United States’ response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, forms the foundation of my artistic narrative. I explore the concept of “double colonialism,” where my community faces oppression not only from primary colonial powers, but also from privileged groups within the colonized population.