An Afghani woman abandoned the ongoing war tearing their country, and had to inject some beauty and hope for the people who are truly fed up with almost two-decade fighting.
A small art gallery was just opened in the Afghan capital, where Reuters talked to some of the artists there.
Speaking to Reuters, Marzia Panahi, 21, said she set up the Namad Gallery at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in September. Her aim was to revive the use of felt in art, to showcase her war-torn country's creativity and to try to create jobs for young people hit hard by the pandemic and the economic crisis it has caused.
"When COVID-19 cases increased in Afghanistan, I saw how unemployment was getting higher, and when we realized how deadly poverty can be...I put together a team of young people so that we could at least be useful to ourselves and those around us, and become entrepreneurs," she said.
Panahi, also international relations student, said she has employed 10 people, including three artists, and sells paintings to local art lovers for between $100 and $200 each.
Afghanistan, where more than 60% of the population is below the age of 25, has struggled with high youth unemployment, with the pandemic has worsened the economic problems even more. The World Bank predicts that more than 70% of the population will slip beneath the poverty line in 2020.
In addition to generating jobs, Panahi said she wanted to find a way of reintroducing felt to traditional arts and crafts in Afghanistan. Historically it had been produced to make carpets, she said, but in recent years its use had declined.
"Because people have turned to a more modern life and are no longer buyers of felt products, we wanted to make it possible to re-use felt in a variety of ways," she explained.
Faiqa Sultani, a 27-year old artist, said she had initially felt depressed due to the lockdown and lack of opportunities, but since joining Namad her mood had improved.
"When I paint, it is a kind of expression of my feelings on canvas, paper, or felt that I enjoy," she said.
"Painting on felt means that we can revive the old traditions and show people that we can use our Afghan resources and make our lives more beautiful."
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