The Paintings of A. Shokour Khesrawi (Volume I) A. Shokour Khesrawi January - March 1998 Lemar-Aftaab "I always had a passion for painting. From a child to now, I'll always enjoy and treasure it. After graduating from art school, I wanted to work in an artistic related environment to achieve my goals and dreams. Unfortunately, it did not happen. I was not able to work on my paintings because the price of art supplies were too expensive and scarce. Therefore, many of my artwork has been created on cheap paper or canvases that are not graded for painting purposes. The war against the Soviet invasion was intensifying. The famine, scarcity and homicides were evident in every corner and alley. I, just like the other hundred of thousands of Afghans remained astonished and lost in not knowing what to do and where to go. The political and economic situation in Kabul and around the country was getting worse every day. The danger was growing every moment. People's dead bodies were left on the streets, on the sidewalks and the terror was filling the air. The members of my family and me decided to leave our beloved country and go to Pakistan. Now that my family and I are living as refugees in Pakistan, we are facing cultural, financial and communication difficulties. I cannot afford to rent a studio with a working table to paint. I sit on the floor. This makes it difficult to paint because I am not able to bend my leg. The recent political situation between Afghans and Pakistanis has not been stable. I pray and hope this nightmare will end. I am not able to freely express my thoughts through my work. I am hoping to achieve freedom so that I would be able to create artwork without being persecuted. An artist's duty and mission is to tell the truth, to reflect the pain and suffering of mankind and the realities through his work. The artist must dedicate and sacrifice his life to his art." With all due respect, A. Shokour Khesrawi For more information on the artwork, call : ( 415 ) 563 - 4352 or send e-mail to gholamjelani@msn.com [click on the images to view larger paintings] Copyright © 1998 Aftaabzad Publications. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form without permission.