Afghan, graffiti artist, woman

For the past 15 years, Afghanistan’s prevailing narrative – at least, on the world stage – has been one of never-ending war and conflict.

And it’s that storyline that’s the driving force behind Kabul-based artist Shamsia Hassani’s work.

Hassani is among Afghanistan’s first female graffiti artists, painting murals on everything from small shops, dismantled by shrapnel, to the grandiose facades of old palaces.

She also does fantasy graffiti — taking photographs of places she’d like to paint on, and then using digital means to produce her artwork.

Currently, Hassani is an artist-in-residence at the UCLA Hammer Museum, and joined Steve Chiotakis in-studio to talk about her work, and life, in Afghanistan’s capital.

Her work will be on display from February 27 to March 3 at the Seyhoun Gallery in West Hollywood.

And you can see more examples here.