HERAT, Afghanistan — Female artists in Herat expressed outrage after the Taliban shut down their painting workshops, a move that comes amid ongoing restrictions on women’s education and artistic expression.
Students from the Faculty of Arts at Herat University said they established small painting workshops following the Taliban’s closure of universities for women. However, these workshops were also forcibly closed after what the students described as repeated “interventions, humiliation, and insults” by Taliban authorities.
“The Taliban have not left us alone even after shutting down the doors of the Faculty of Arts,” said Khatira Samangani, a second-year student when the ban was implemented. “They threatened us in horrific ways, constantly visiting our gallery and warning us not to draw or paint human faces. We can’t even hold the smallest exhibition.”
Some students, determined to continue their craft, turned to private training centers to enhance their skills. But they said these centers, too, have been shut down by the Taliban.
“I was in my second year when the university was closed,” said Saida Mohammadi, another art student. “I had dreamed of opening my own art gallery. I attended training courses and continued learning, but the Taliban closed those courses as well.”
Herat, historically a hub of artistic achievement, is regarded as the birthplace of Persian miniature painting. During the Timurid dynasty in the 15th century, the city was home to a grand art library that attracted artists from across the region.
Under the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law, however, the painting of living beings, including animals and birds, is prohibited. The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has enforced these restrictions, which many fear threaten the rich artistic heritage of Herat and the aspirations of its young artists.
Despite the challenges, some female artists continue to paint at home, refusing to abandon their passion.
