Mujaheda Khowajazada
Mujaheda Khowajazada conveys her messages of peace using photographs to touch people emotionally. In doing so, she gives women in Afghanistan a powerful voice. With her commitment, her courage and her photographic and artistic skills, she has captured the challenges of her culture and history and presented them in recent years at international exhibitions around the world, in India, Iran, Kazakhstan, 2017 in Berlin and 2023 in Cologne. Her reductive, objective photographic working method is comparable to that of the famous August Sander, who sought to document the people of his time in an objective and conceptual manner. Staging for the purpose of condensing the essentials is always subordinate to the goal of documenting.
This photography shows Afghan handicraft (Khamak dozi) and the story of the situation of women in Afghanistan, who live in extremely difficult conditions. In fact, this art goes beyond mere craft and has profound social, cultural and economic impacts. In a society where women are often confronted with challenges and restrictions, this art form offers a valuable opportunity to assert themselves, preserve their cultural identity and at the same time contribute to improving their own living conditions. Their artwork is perceived not only as an expression of personal creativity, but also as a powerful symbol of resilience and their tireless desire for peace, security, fair participation and self-determination.
Untitled, studio photography
