From Bamyan to Sweden: Sanaz Hakimi’s Art as ‘Freedom, in a Feminine Voice’

‘Freedom, in a Feminine Voice’

Earlier this year, on 7 March, Hakimi opened her solo exhibition ‘Freedom, in a Feminine Voice’ at the Konsthall in Piteå. Bringing together painting, graphic work, and sculpture, the exhibition explored freedom through its many dimensions- from longing and liberation to restriction and loss.

Drawing on her own experience of migration and in-between cultural identities, Hakimi reflects on freedom, not only as an abstract concept, but as something personal and political. The exhibition addressed the oppression of women in Afghanistan, where freedoms are often denied or violently suppressed.

Hakimi said:

‘For me, freedom is not an abstract idea, but a lived experience- something that can exist and also be taken away. As a woman shaped by displacement, I understand freedom as the possibility of choice, movement, and presence.

Through my work, I reflect on the lives of women in my homeland, where oppression is both political and deeply human. I use art not to give answers, but to open space for questions. This is a feminine voice, both fragile and strong.’

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‘From Bamyan to Växjö’

On 8 March, International Women’s Day, Hakimi also opened the exhibition ‘From Bamyan to Växjö’ at the Italian Palace in Växjö. Among the attendees were Ann-Margreth Willebrand, Chair of the Elin Wägner Society, and Kajsa Johansson, Secretary General of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan.

In this exhibition, Hakimi explored the historical layers of Afghanistan, cultural memory, and the intertwined narratives of Afghan women. Rooted in storytelling of stories that have been overlooked, silenced, and fragmented over time, the exhibition centres on the civilisation of Bamyan, the Buddhas of Bamyan, and their cultural and symbolic significance.

Through painting and sculpture, Hakimi’s inspiration draws from the visual language of the Bamyan cliffs, including ancient carvings and mural paintings dating back to the early centuries of the Common Era. Her work seeks t reintroduce women into narratives from which they have been excluded.

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ICORN at SUPERMARKET 2026 Art Fair in Stockholm

From 23-26 April 2026, the independent art fair SUPERMARKET in Stockholm hosted an exhibition booth featuring artists from the ICORN network, curated by artist Sanaz Hakimi.

The ICORN presentation brought together artists from across the ICORN network in Sweden, including Ali Rahimi (Afghanistan/Gävle), Sara Khayat (Syria/Gävle), Duaa Kamel (Palestine/Uddevalla), Hakimi, and others. The artists work across painting, sculpture, illustration, and graphic art.

Hakimi’s work centres on Hazara culture and the situation of women in Afghanistan, combining painting and sculpture to explore themes of freedom, displacement and cultural memory. Rahimi’s paintings are shaped by experiences of migration and exile, while Khayat addresses women’s rights, LGBTQI+ rights and refugee issues through illustration and graphic art. Kamel, a poet, writer, and painter, explores war, patriarchy and emotional memory, often focusing on the traces of human presence.

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OpenArt 2026

Hakimi is also participating in OpenArt 2026, Örebro Municipality’s international biennial for contemporary art. This year’s edition features 26 artists exhibiting across approximately 40 locations throughout Örebro’s city centre between 13 June and 6 September 2026.