Women from Pakistan’s Balochistan province hailed in artworks for their sacrifices amid insurgency
- The struggles of Baloch women in coping with the loss of their loved ones were showcased in an art exhibition in Karachi
- Pakistan was hit by a wave of militant attacks last year, including those targeting China-linked projects in Balochistan
For a group of artists from the province, art is the medium through which they can capture the agony suffered by women in the province as the decades-long separatist insurgency rages on.
Among them is Ahmed Ibn e Sakeena, whose painting The Conversation Behind the Canvas shows three women wearing pashk – a traditional embroidered long dress – and anguished expressions over the disappearances of their family members for many years due to the conflict.
“This painting unveils a conversation that spans three generations of women. My artwork strives to contribute to a deeper understanding of the connections between art, activism, and the resilient narratives of Baloch women,” 34-year-old Sakeena told This Week In Asia.
Works by Baloch artists were showcased at an exhibition in Karachi last week to commemorate 37-year-old Karima Baloch, a Baloch human rights activist who was found dead in Toronto, Canada in 2021. Karima’s family has alleged that she was killed because of her activism.