Taliban fighters resting and eating watermelon on Wazir Akbar Khan Hill near Kabul. Photography by Hashem Shakeri, courtesy of Bristol Photo Festival
Life in the hermit kingdom of Afghanistan is on display in a new exhibition at this year’s Bristol Photo Festival. Staring into the Abyss, the debut solo UK exhibition by Hashem Shakeri, an award-winning Iranian artist, photographer and filmmaker, documents everyday life under the Taliban.
Shakeri’s images capture an atmosphere of uncertainty and ambiguity as ordinary Afghans deal with numerous restrictions and violence reintroduced after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Alongside the country’s diplomatic isolation from much of the world, Afghanistan is currently the only nation where secondary and higher education is forbidden to girls and women. The ban affects 1.4 million Afghan girls, according to Unesco.
Shakeri’s work has previously been published in the Sunday Times, the New York Times, the New Yorker and elsewhere. He has won the Lucas Dolega Award (2016) and was shortlisted for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (2020).
A portrait of Setareh, 17, in the garden of her home in Kabul. Setareh was injured in a deadly bombing that killed some of her closest friends. She spent 15 days in a coma and continues to experience flashbacks. Photography by Hashem Shakeri, courtesy of Bristol Photo FestivalTaliban fighters visit an amusement park in Kabul. Ordinary Afghans rarely visit parks, zoos or recreational areas out of fear of the repercussions, and many public spaces have been taken over by Taliban fighters. Photography by Hashem Shakeri, courtesy of Bristol Photo FestivalTaliban military personnel pose for pictures outside a former government-owned military base in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. Before returning to power in 2021, some of these soldiers fought against western forces for up to two decades. They say they feel aimless since taking control of Afghanistan in 2021. Photography by Hashem Shakeri, courtesy of Bristol Photo FestivalThe wedding ceremony of Amir Jan, 20, and Asifa, 18, is held in a house in a village in Bamiyan province in central Afghanistan. Many weddings have been suspended or are held in secret since the Taliban regained control of the country. Playing music and dancing are in violation of the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam. Photography by Hashem Shakeri, courtesy of Bristol Photo FestivalAfter the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the US government and other international organisations cut all financial support to Afghanistan. Due to dire economic conditions, many Afghans now try to survive by selling off their household possessions. Photography by Hashem Shakeri, courtesy of Bristol Photo Festival
