Explore Ghafar Tajmohammad’s thought-provoking collection of paintings and hand-woven rugs, called kilims, reflecting on conflict, home, and the search for hope and resilience.
By combining painting, hand-woven rugs, and lived experiences, Ghafar’s work responds to the ongoing global turmoil and its impact. Whilst seemingly distant, such conflicts mark real lives, especially those of civilians caught in the crossfire. Ghafar draws on his own experience of displacement as a British Afghan, while also turning outward to wider struggles and shared hopes.
Co-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025), produced by Counterpoints Arts.
About the exhibition
The exhibition’s title comes from a proverb shared with Ghafar by a fellow Afghan while talking about the bombings in Afghanistan.
Today, the phrase feels even more powerful against the backdrop of global conflicts. For Ghafar, it reflects both feelings of helplessness and the hope that expressing the collective “crowd” might encourage solidarity and social connection.
Ghafar’s work talks about ideas like home, belonging, and migration of people moving from one place to another.
His art looks closely at the experiences of people from the Afghan community who have moved to new places, especially to the UK. He uses painting in new and different ways to share these stories.
What to expect
One of the works in this exhibition is a collection of hand-woven, painted rugs, called kilims, named “Love Letters.” This personal piece was inspired by a workshop Ghafar co-led with ArtRefuge at a refugee camp in the UK.
During this workshop, he invited participants to write and draw their initials using both Arabic and English letters. This simple act of writing one’s own initials became a powerful way for people to express identity, memory, and presence.
“Love Letters” begins with these initials as a starting point, not only to acknowledge the individuals who took part, but also to open the space for others.
Another highlight is “Dirt Upon My Head”. It is made from one large canvas stretched over several square frames. Each frame represents a single home, and together they suggest a neighbourhood or city frozen in a moment of impact. The canvas stretches out from the centre, giving a feeling of breaking or tearing.
About Ghafar Tajmohammad
Ghafar is of Afghan heritage and was displaced as a small child. He grew up in Southeast London, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Painting at Camberwell College of Arts and works as a Curatorial Project Manager at the Migration Museum.
About Firstsite
Firstsite is the East of England’s contemporary visual arts organisation where you can experience the most exciting developments in contemporary art, and explore the rich artistic legacy cultivated by the East of England’s unique landscape and character.
Image: Homage to Najia, Fall of Kabul by Ghafar Tajmohammad, courtesy of the artist.
