Hangama Obaidullah / Artlands 2023

Hangama came to Australia from Afghanistan as a refugee in August 2003. At that time, she spoke no English, but in October that year she began her English language studies and progressed rapidly. She enrolled as a mature age student at St Mary’s Senior High School, Sydney, NSW, graduating with her Higher School Certificate in 2009. She received an Award for Excellence, Major Works, and a Commendation Award for her HSC body of artwork.

Hangama has since developed her arts practice in painting, drawing, photography and writing. She moved to Canberra in 2010. Hangama has exhibited in a variety of public venues in Canberra, other Australian cities and internationally and she has worked actively as an advocate for migrant women and refugees.

Hangama’s artwork draws on her Afghan heritage, her homeland and its history. She espouses an aesthetic and philosophy of beauty, grace and community service. Her goal is to assist other women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse background though her visual arts practice and her writing.

Photo credit: Hilary Wardhaugh