The Waterlilies Portrait Project

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"Waterlilies Portrait Project"

Courtesy of the Gallery.

Opening reception: August 15, 6:30-8:30 PM 

Nineteen local women artists are collaborating with a group of young Afghani women forced to flee Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on August 15, 2021. After a year as refugees in Pakistan, the women now live in Saskatoon and are working hard to rebuild their lives. The result of the collaboration is the Waterlilies Portrait Project, a commemorative exhibition of 19 portraits. The fall of Afghanistan has been especially devastating for young women and girls who can no longer get an education, work, or meet in public areas. The exhibition’s intent is to amplify the voices of these newcomers and bring attention to the injustice and oppression their female relatives continue to endure. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event. 

In early 2022, three Canadian women began work with the women as part of The Shoe Project, a mentorship program founded by Toronto author Katherine Govier. Over several months, they told the stories of their escape and the lives they left behind. The stories became a book entitled Waterlilies, a metaphor for a generation born and raised during a democratic government. These stories will be shared as part of an upcoming event in Saskatoon in early September.

For the Waterlilies Portrait Project exhibition, each of the woman was paired with a local artist to collaborate in the creation of a portrait. While many of the artists (all women) are painters, the artworks on view represent different interpretations of what constitutes a portrait. They have in common a desire to support these young women in their struggle for basic human rights.

Project Participants:

Fazila Alizada, Maryam Asghari, Elizabeth Babyn, Nadera Batori, Rachel Broussard, Michelle Cates, Lorna Conquergood, Rowen Dinsmore, Linda Duvall, Allyson Glenn, Geti Hakimi, Fatima Hassani, Fawzia Hassani,  Iris Hauser, Sumaya Hosseini, Maryam Hussaini, Malika Ibrahimi,  Shakiba Ismaili, Maliha Kazimi, Marie Lannoo, Gabriela Garcia-Luna, Joanne Lyons, Parwin Maqsudi, Monique Martin, Fahima Merzada, Fahima Mohammadi, Marzia Naderi, Sana Nasrati, Marwa Nasrati, Wendy Patterson, Diana Roelens, Dawna Rose, Betsy Rosenwald, Farzana Sarwari, Fariba Sultani, Cristine Andrew Stuckel, Negar Devine-Tajgardan, Leah Moxley Teigrob, Carol Wylie, Setara Zahidi, Emily Zdunich