26 September 2012 - A UNAMA photographer is back in Kabul after showing, through his images, the everyday life of the Afghan people. The images were put on display from 14 to 22 September at a gallery in Melbourne. Click here for some photos of the exhibition

According to Jillian Hocking, Course Co-ordinator at Swinburne University, who helped organize the photo exhibition “Afghanistan: Beyond the Silk Road”, the photos by Fardin Waezi “saw very healthy traffic and interest from the general public”.

“On the opening day of the exhibition, two women were so moved by the photographs they cried as they expressed their appreciation for Fardin’s work,” said Ms. Hocking, who in the past also served in UNAMA as a radio producer.

Federation Square, a forum for public events in Melbourne, had generously provided its gallery space for the photo exhibition, which was supported by Swinburne University’s Screen and Media department. Twenty-five panels comprising 52 captioned photographs were exhibited at the Atrium Gallery, Federation Square, in the heart of Melbourne.

Mr. Waezi spent a great deal of time and energy talking with interested observers as they passed through the exhibition, answering questions about Afghanistan, its people, and its future, added Ms. Hocking.

Due to high interest from both staff and public, Federation Square has requested another exhibition of Mr. Waezi’s work, and a number of other Afghan photographers in approximately six months.

During his stay in Australia, Mr. Waezi also presented a photograph to Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister.

Mr. Waezi said, with this exhibition, he tried to showcase the positive aspects of Afghanistan. “I realized during this exhibition that the people were surprised to see if it was really Afghanistan. I explained that these aspects of Afghanistan are not reported in the media. Afghanistan is not only about the war, we have rich culture, history and traditions that I am proud of as an Afghan,” he said.