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Turquoise Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan

March 5, 2016 – January 29, 2017

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
1050 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC

Sponsor: Freer and Sackler Galleries

Location: Sublevel 3, S. Dillion Ripley Center, International Gallery, Galleries L3

Decades of civil unrest nearly destroyed Afghanistan’s vital artistic heritage. Over the past decade, Turquoise Mountain, an organization founded in 2006 at the request of HRH the Prince of Wales and the president of Afghanistan, has transformed the Murad Khani district of Old Kabul from slum conditions into a vibrant cultural and economic center. Dedicated to teaching a new generation of Afghan artisans in woodwork, calligraphy, ceramics, jewelry design, and other crafts, Turquoise Mountain is reviving the nation’s cultural legacy. This exhibition transforms the International Gallery into a visit to Old Kabul. Artisans from Murad Khani demonstrate their work and share their experiences, allowing visitors to appreciate Afghanistan’s rich culture and national pride.

Turquoise Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan is organized by Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Turquoise Mountain Trust. This exhibition is made possible by the support the American people have given to Turquoise Mountain through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Additional exhibition support is provided by Dame Jillian Sackler, DBE, Justin and Hilarie Huscher, the Dr. Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation, Anonymous donors, Frank V. Sica and the Honorable Colleen McMahon, Baron Lorne Thyssen-Bornemisza, Ben and Donna Rosen, and other generous benefactors.

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