‘Colours of Hope’ to showcase artworks by young refugees

More than 70 art pieces created by nine young refugee artists from Afghanistan and Myanmar will be on display tomorrow and Saturday in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.

The art exhibition, titled ‘Colours of Hope’, is an initiative by non-profit Greater Action which aims to motivate young refugee artists to showcase their hard work and allow them to freely express their emotions through their artworks.

“This exhibition was set up to show to the world that refugees also have talents. We hope that with this exhibition, we can nurture their talents, and hopefully, they can make a living out of it,” Julie Das, founder of Greater Action, told Malaysiakini.

She said amid the hardship many refugees face, some have found their talent in arts, and plans are underway to support them as much as possible by having more regular exhibitions and providing them with the necessary resources and equipment.

Das believed the artists could not only hone their talents but also earn a living through arts to support themselves and their families.

She added that 100 percent of the proceeds from the exhibition are going back to the individual artists.

“Beyond the arts, we want to support the refugees' cause. As refugees, they are asking for solidarity, compassion, and they just want to be treated as human beings.

“We want to share that message to Malaysians and the whole world. Treat them as human beings, support and recognise them, give them the same chance as anybody else,” Das added.

The two-day exhibition will run between 11am till 6pm beginning tomorrow at East Residence Clubhouse, KLGCC, Bukit Kiara with events such as poetry reading and artists storytelling taking place on the first day.

Besides the exhibition, an art auction will also take place from 4pm until 5.30pm tomorrow.

Visitors can also purchase merchandise skillfully handcrafted by refugee tailors.

All volunteers and artists are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and visitors have to abide by the Covid-19 SOP, including a crowd limit of 25 people at a time, vaccination requirement, social distancing, masking, “Low Risk” status on MySejahtera app profile, while minors need to be accompanied by fully vaccinated parent or guardian.

Those interested can register here or visit the website.

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