Afghan Women's Narratives through Art: Exploring Themes of Identity & Home

By the end of 2024, United Nations expects 130 million people worldwide to be forcibly displaced from their homes by conflict, persecution, natural disasters, and other extreme events. 5,000 refugees have been resettled in New Haven. How can we get to know our refugee neighbors, offer support as they build new lives and be a part of the healing process?

This unique exhibit showcases the artistic creations from two expressive arts initiatives by CRIW- The Collective for Refugee and Immigrant Women’s Wellbeing, which allowed mostly preliterate women from rural Afghanistan who are often unheard due to barriers of language, gender, poverty and education, to tell their own stories through their photographs and hand sewn “story cloths”.

During World Refugee Week, join Hossna Samadi, cofounder of CRIW and former Afghan refugee, as she guides you through this rare and powerful glimpse into their rich and vibrant representations of strength, identity, love of homeland and memories of loss, as expressed in this exhibit. CRIW - The Collective for Refugee and Immigrant Women’s Wellbeing - hopes this public exhibition can serve as a catalyst for conversations to break barriers, foster cultural understanding and build a more compassionate community.