Flourish in Silence

Created in 2025, this work is rendered in acrylic and gouache on matboard — a masterful Talfiq, or infusion, of traditional Afghan miniature art with contemporary technique.

Born from the personal journey of artist Shafiullah Shahdad, this piece speaks to the silencing of voices — ethnic, gendered, and spiritual — and answers that silence with breathtaking flourishing. Within the depths of black and darkness, life blooms. At its heart, the sun is veiled in the language of Islamic art, a timeless symbol of art itself as the ultimate source of resilience, light, and renewal.

This artwork is part of the Talfiq Series, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts through an Individual Artist Grant.

This is not merely a painting — it is a testament to the enduring power of creativity in the face of erasure.