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KABUL: A painting presented by Afghanistan to the United Nations Secretary-General was displayed in New York City on Tuesday.
The painting entitled “The Unseen Afghanistan,” was presented by Afghanistan Permanent Representative Ambassador Adela Raz to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a ceremony, the first artwork gifted to the global body by Afghanistan since 1963.
Afghanistan Permanent Mission to the UN said in a statement the painting celebrates Afghanistan’s recent gains and projects a positive side of the unseen Afghanistan, often hidden from public view.
Commending the painting and “its reflection of courage, diversity and commitment of the Afghan people, the UN secretary-general António Guterres reassure UN’s strong commitment to support Afghanistan, and the Afghan people.
He said, “This painting, of course, is very important for the UN. It represents a partnership of 75 years, a very solid partnership that Ambassador Raz has been boosting in an extraordinary way.”
“And to make sure that these trying times will lead to a new era — peace, prosperity and human rights for the people of Afghanistan that are so dear to my heart.”
Ambassador Adela Raz told the unveiling ceremony that the Afghan government has long wanted to donate a symbolic and original artwork to the UN.
She said the painting is a celebration of the resilience and beauty of Afghanistan. “It shows our country and its people in all their glory and aspirations — a side of Afghanistan often forgotten or unseen,” she said.
She added that the gift told the story of Afghan girls and their relentless thirst for education and persistence in the face of adversity to gain knowledge and dream big. “Together we will make the depiction of Afghanistan shown in this painting a reality for all Afghans. Together we will make the unseen, seen,” said Adela Raz.
The painting — two by four metres has in the foreground calligraphy of a poem by the famous Afghan poet Rumi. The poem reads: “Let’s not sew anything, but love and friendship in this pure land.”
