The Silent Strength

I drew this portrait of an old Afghan woman from the photograph taken by Kiana Hayeri for National Geographic. The woman in the photo is 70 years old and continues to live through a war that, for her, has never truly ended. After the Taliban overtook her home village, her family was divided by the war and her two sons fought for the Afghan National Army, fighting on opposite sides of the conflict in Afghanistan. 

I wanted to capture the quiet pain and unimaginable strength of a woman caught between love for her children and the violence that divided them. She has no weapons and no political power, but she survives. She raises her grandchildren and holds her family together with what little is left. Afghan women like her are my heroes, not because of fame or recognition, but because they endure. Their strength lies in their ability to keep living, loving, and holding even as the world looks away. Every wrinkle on her face tells a story, every shadow speaks of burden, and every glance feels like a silent cry for peace. Through this drawing, I want people to remember the woman still caught in the middle of war, still standing, still strong.