California Today

Afghan Women's Pain and Dreams in Photos

24 May 2026 09:14

Two anonymous Afghan cousins, Mahnaz and Somayeh Ebrahimi, have created a photo series blending autobiography and fiction to depict women's struggles under Taliban rule. - The cousins, Hazara Shia Muslims, fled Kabul after 2021 and now live in a remote village.

- Their photos, like 'The Music of Poverty and Violence,' use symbols such as weapons and burkas to convey resistance. - The work is displayed at the Photoville Festival in Brooklyn through May 30.

- Curator Edith Arance describes the style as auto-fiction and magic realism, combining harsh reality with dreams.

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Freedompoliticshuman rightsartphotographySanta Cruz County