ADMISSION:
Admission is free. RSVP not required.

DESCRIPTION:
“Birds of No Nation” is a three-part series celebrating International Women’s Day that explores the powerful role the arts and creativity play in global struggles for women’s rights.

The first event presents a unique chance to interact with Afghan graffiti artist and muralist Shamsia Hassani as she creates large-scale art in an open outdoor setting at Alumni Park. An exiled art professor from the University of Kabul, Hassani is known for her depictions of Afghan women defying traditional gender roles and for the series Birds of No Nation, which explores Afghan refugee and migration experiences.

The public is invited to create art with the globally known feminist street artist if they wish, and chat about the process and purpose of her work, the power of creativity and communication, and more.

Prior to the series, the USC community will be able to stream the documentary films Ghosts of Afghanistan and Afghan Women: A History of Struggle via the USC Libraries. 

Bio:
Shamsia Hassani is one of Afghanistan’s first female street artists. Working in Kabul, Hassani depicted Afghan women as strong independent figures who pursue their ambitious goals,  affirming and revealing their power and desire for joy, color, and beauty in their lives. After the Taliban takeover, she left her position as a lecturer in fine arts at Kabul University and sought refuge abroad. Organizing graffiti festivals, art classes, and exhibitions around the world, she has encouraged Afghans to express their creativity. During her 2016 residency at the Hammer Museum, Hassani painted a mural in the West Adams district of Los Angeles.

Related events:
Birds of No Nation: Creative Workshop with Gazelle Samizay 
Wednesday, March 8, at 5 p.m.
Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240
For more info, click HERE   

Birds of No Nation: Afghan Women on Art, Gender, Freedom, and Exile
Wednesday, March 8, at 7 p.m.
Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240
For more info, click HERE   

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Co-organized by Shahla Bahavar (USC Libraries), Sophie Lesinska (USC Libraries), and Eliz Sanasarian (Gender Studies and Political Science). 

Image: Untitled by Shamsia Hassani