SPACE 3 :

AVAN ANWAR

Exhibition dates. 20 April - 1 May, 2022
Opening Reception : Thur 21 April 2022, 6:00 - 8.30pm.

The Pattern of my mind

As a Kurd I have come from a war zone and an area of socio- political conflict in Middle East and borne into it. This life has still impacted on me and not sure what the future be like there for my family and Kurdish people. I have carried that experience with myself till today. During that time, there were air-raids, bombing, explosion sound, houses destroyed, people killed any other violent activity took place. We used to hide in a shelter built by my parents in the basement of our house. It was really tensed moments and scary. I didn’t know what was going on because I was small yet happy and felt safe to be with my family although we had no electric and enough food. Sometimes during the spring or summer seasons we run away from my town due to heavy bombardment and air-raids to the hills or to the mountain. That was the best time for me as a child as I was surrounded by nature, and everything was bloomed with the aroma of flowers. The hills were covered by poppy flowers. I felt overwhelming and it was better than hiding in the shelter, yet my town was under a heavy smoky.

After many years, in a different time, different country, among different people, in my other homeland, I am experiencing similar dreadful life under the lockdown due to Covid 19. The tension of the lockdown with this new trauma has a big impact on me, with the same conflict, trauma, and fear with all become fogy in my mind. it has also divided us under different circumstances with a global threat to humanity. But despite all negativity surrounding us in this pandemic and uncertainty I find myself being surrounded by people and things I care for, but the reflection on dread is unescapable as the pandemic continues and has caused a destruction on a large scale.

The Exhibition