Title: “Veil”
Size: 2 by 4 ft.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Year: 2023
Description: The image of a young girl in this painting standing alone, decked in a white traditional chaddar
wrapped over her jeans and t-shirt, says a lot about the restrictions imposed on her by Pashtun culture. It
serves as a symbol to represent the limitations levied on Pashtun women to choose their clothes. The white
chaddar acts as a visual sign of the oppressive nature of these cultural norms and values. The decision to
hide her face beneath the veil further strengthens the lack of autonomy she faces, as it indicates her lack of
intervention and the absence of her right to choose what to wear. This painting discloses a strong desire for
freedom, as the girl yearns to break free from the restraints of tradition and wants to fully express her
individuality and her real personality.