Sponsored by
An Afghan & Ukrainian Multicultural Art Exhibit
RESÏSTANCE TO CRUELTY
THAT NEVER ENDS
NAVIGATION MENU
OUR STORY
In Afghanistan, flying kites is not merely a children's pastime. It's a cultural cornerstone that dates back generations. During the Taliban regime, flying kites was prohibited. Yet brave Afghans would write notes protesting the regime and attach them to their kites, eventually cutting their kites loose so that their cries of resistance would fly throughout their cities and towns.
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On another corner of the globe, posters are plastered on trees, poles, and buildings with just one letter written on them, "Ï." The letter "Ï" is a Ukrainian letter absent in russian language, and, to many Ukrainians in occupied territories, it is a symbol that reminds their fellow Ukrainians and russian invaders alike that Ukrainians and the Ukrainian identity will continue to persist regardless of the violence that may come their way.
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Both Afghans and Ukrainians are intimately aware of their countries' rich and extensive history. Countless empires and regimes have come and gone through their lands to impose their own values and control. Yet, the beauty, hope, pride, and freedom of their people and cultures have stubbornly persisted and continue to persist in perpetuity.
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In this critical period in their countries' histories, two Indianapolis-based artist-curators collaborate on an artistic juxtaposition of their cultures to gain a greater understanding of the spirit of resistance in the face of unrelenting odds.
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The exhibit is located in two areas in the Indy Art Center:
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Afghan paintings and drawings are located in the first hallway to the right of the lobby (connected to the main hall)
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Rushnyks, August 15 mural, "Kites," and "Numbers" are located in the Indy Art Center Library
EVENTS & DATES
The exhibit and its events will all be at the Indy Art Center
820 East 67th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46220
EXHIBIT OPENS | March 23, 2025
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NUMBERS | Everyday 12:30-12:40 (with exception of IAC events, holidays, and sickness)
Learn more about this performance piece.
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OPENING RECEPTION | Friday, April 11 | 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Join us for an evening of art, conversation, and community. Light refreshments will be served.
AFGHAN COMMUNITY CONVERSATION | Sunday, April 27 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Learn about your Afghan-American neighbors in Indiana. A conversation led by Najia Sherzad Hoshmand, the first woman Deputy CEO of the First National Bank of Afghanistan, Afghan refugee, Director of Refugee resettlement for Patchwork Indy, and Founder and President of Afghan American Community Center. RSVP.
UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY CONVERSATION | Thursday, May 8 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Learn about your Ukrainian-American neighbors in Indiana. A conversation led Svitlana Ramer, Co-Founder and President of Ukrainian Society of Indiana and Honorary Consul of Ukraine to Indiana. RSVP.
ARTIST TALK | TBD. Stay tuned to Patchwork Indy or Indy Arts Center social media for more event details to come!
A special discussion with Iryna Bondar and Abdul Qahar Behzad, exploring their artistic inspirations and personal experiences.
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EXHIBIT CLOSES | May 23, 2025
ABOUT THE ARTIST-CURATORS
IRYNA BONDAR
Iryna Bondar is a Ukrainian multimedia artist, based in Indianapolis, Indiana. She received her BFA in Drawing and Illustration from IUPUI Herron School of Art+Design. Her early works explored the immigrant experience, homesickness and family.
Despite being trained academically as a watercolor painter, Iryna’s current work mostly combines her passion for contemporary illustration and traditional Ukrainian embroidery techniques. After February 2022, Iryna’s lifelong interest in Ukrainian folk arts transformed into a personal process of decolonization from russian cultural imperialism.
Through her fusion of old techniques with new iconography, Iryna hopes to help recontextualize the russian war in Ukraine as part of a centuries-long pattern of colonialism, rather than the popular fallacy that an authoritarian leader has sole culpability for the actions of a nation.
QAHAR BEHZAD
A self-taught artist from Kabul, Afghanistan, Abdul Qahar Behzad is now based in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he works as a Legal Assistant for Exodus Refugee Immigration. He earned a degree in Law and Political Science from Rana University in Kabul in 2020.
Behzad was the first artist to display and sell his paintings at Camp Eggers, a US military base in Kabul. From 2005 to 2018, he operated painting studios there, as well as at Camp Phoenix, NKC (New Kabul Compound) Base, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) “Resolute Support” Headquarters, Camp Cobra, and Camp Qula House, where he created artworks for soldiers and military personnel.
When Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, Behzad was working as an artist in Kabul. Amidst the chaos and violent takeover, former commanding US officials, many of whom served in the Indiana National Guard, wrote letters of support to bring him to safety in the US. Behzad evacuated to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, where he volunteered as an interpreter for 4 months.
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Behzad is committed to helping other refugees like himself. He is working to bring the rest of his family to safety in the US and advocating for the evacuation of other Afghans who still live under threat of the Taliban every day.
RUSHNYK
Rushnyk is a traditional piece of Ukrainian decor and an important ceremonial artifact. From embellishing icons and windows to “tying the knot” at weddings, rushnyks are pervasive in Ukrainian households. Combining a strong predilection towards beauty with a legacy of superstition and ritual, the rushnyk is a poignant symbol of Ukraine’s cultural identity.
Embroideries on rushnyk vary vastly in content, sometimes capturing key moments from a family’s life, sometimes recording historic events, and sometimes showcasing the fashion trends of the time. The techniques used are countless and vary regionally, from lyshtva (a double-sided straight stitch) to hlad’ v prykrip (a style of couching).
Rushnyk survived the aggressive soviet industrialization and persecution of all things religious, indigenous or grassroots. This exhibit is meant to give the audience a small glimpse into generations of Ukrainian embroidery tradition and storytelling.
NUMBERS
February 24th, 2022 marked the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. russia’s war against Ukraine started in the year 2014, with the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula and the occupation of Donetsk and
Luhansk Oblasts.
I did not start this piece on February 24th, or even in 2022. I began working on it around day 550, when I finally began to internalize the unceasing nature of the war. The first 18 months of the war were brutal – each new report of depraved war crimes committed by russian soldiers sickened and immobilized me – but there was also a sense of hope. There were also amazing stories of resistance, and displays of unity from unlikely allies. My high school bully making molotov cocktails? I have to say, that comes with a sense of solidarity. At that time, making art was the most useless thing I could think of; I poured my soul into volunteering.
But ours is a war of attrition – it has always been this way with russia, a country for which human lives hold no value – and after nearly two years, hope was overtaken by exhaustion. Watching other people’s attention slowly wither away, while my family and friends were placing bets on whether they’ll wake up the next morning, has become a chronic pain. Adapting to this new reality has forced me to be accountable for every day I live.
Early on in the full-scale invasion, Ukrainians started counting the passage of time in days, rather than weeks or months, because the days felt infinitely long and started to blend together. With every milestone (100 days, 500 days, 1000 days), we wished for an end to the war. At this point, though, every Ukrainian has lost someone or something to russian violence – even if the war ends tomorrow, life is never going to be the same as it was before. “Numbers” is a tribute to living every single day through the fear of losing your loved ones, and refusing to look away from that fear.
AUGUST 15
A Traveling Mural Exhibit
The story of this artwork begins on August 15, 2021, when the government of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. This mural tells many stories of how lives were forever changed that day.
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After surviving this trauma, thousands of Afghan evacuees found safe haven at Indiana’s Camp Atterbury. Lifelong friends, artists Zainab Ahmadi and Fawzia Abdaly, were among them. In Afghanistan, their lives were threatened by the Taliban due to their advocacy of women’s empowerment. While at Camp Atterbury, art therapy group Art of the Soul created a safe space for evacuees to reflect freely. With muralist Tiffany Black, they created this work of art. August 15 represents their message to the world.
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Those who stayed at Camp Atterbury have now found homes throughout North America. Based on the participation of 59 evacuees, this mural remains as a record of their collective experiences and hopes for the future. It also stands as a memorial for the brave people who sacrificed their lives in attempt to bring peace to this country. The exhibition of this mural will rally support for those left behind, suffering under constant threat of the Taliban.
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Expressed in seven circles that each highlight thoughts, emotions, hopes, and dreams, this work grows from the August 15 date in the center to express the tremendous impact that it represents. Just as Afghan lives unfolded on that day, the mural’s theme extends outward from this starting point.
The beauty of Afghanistan has been eclipsed by war and misery. Now, as refugees begin their new lives, they hope to share their beautiful culture with their new neighbors. This mural will do the same for all who will view it.
THANK YOU
Organizing, planning, installing, promoting, and hosting a program such as "Resistance to Cruelty That Never Ends" requires a team effort of organizations working together diligently, determined to curate spaces for meaningful dialogue through art.
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Please consider donating to one or more of the partner organizations below to ensure that new iterations of multicultural art and storytelling in Indiana continue in the years to come.
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We sincerely thank you for taking the time to visit our space and listening to new perspectives.
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