Diaries from A Distance
Shwan Dler Qaradaki is Oslo based artist and former political refugee, whose main interest concerns such significant in the today’s world topics as democracy and freedom of speech. This mural drawing is a part of the ongoing project, which problematizes this notions. Masterfully depicted in his unique style, this combination of image and text is Qaradaki’s artistic interpretation of his continuous dialogue with the kurdish journalist and former political prisoner Adnan Hassanpour. For his journalistic activism, Hassanpour was sentenced to death in 2007. After serving 10 years in Iranian prison, constantly fighting for the justice, he was finally released in January of 2017. Although nowadays Hassanpour has the opportunity to escape the country, he chooses to remain in Iranian Kurdistan in order to fight for democracy. This stands in contrast to Qaradaki, who many years ago has lost his hope for change towards democracy in Iraq and fled the country in 1997. While Hassanpour risks getting arrested again on the grounds of his voiced opinions in Iran, Qaradaki is living with democracy and freedom of expression here in Norway.
Shwan Dler Qaradaki is Oslo based artist and former political refugee, whose main interest concerns such significant in the today’s world topics as democracy and freedom of speech. This mural drawing is a part of the ongoing project, which problematizes this notions. Masterfully depicted in his unique style, this combination of image and text is Qaradaki’s artistic interpretation of his continuous dialogue with the kurdish journalist and former political prisoner Adnan Hassanpour. For his journalistic activism, Hassanpour was sentenced to death in 2007. After serving 10 years in Iranian prison, constantly fighting for the justice, he was finally released in January of 2017. Although nowadays Hassanpour has the opportunity to escape the country, he chooses to remain in Iranian Kurdistan in order to fight for democracy. This stands in contrast to Qaradaki, who many years ago has lost his hope for change towards democracy in Iraq and fled the country in 1997. While Hassanpour risks getting arrested again on the grounds of his voiced opinions in Iran, Qaradaki is living with democracy and freedom of expression here in Norway.
