Sazan Ekber paints murals about massacres, resisting women

Mural painter Sazan Ekber wants to paint happiness, love of country, and free women in her paintings, “however, creating a memory to not forget the deaths that came after the smell of apples is important,” she said.

HEWAR MEHEMED

Germiyan – Student Sazan Ekber paints murals about the indelible traces of Halabja Massacres, the smell of apples, happiness, and elements of culture in order that the painful memories aren’t been forgotten. A commemoration was held in the Darbandikhan town of Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan Region to memorize those who lost their lives in the Halabja massacre committed by the Baas regime using chemical weapons in Southern Kurdistan's Halabja town in 1988. Young painters also attended the commemoration held by the municipality of Darbandikhan. Mural painter Sazan Ekber is one of the young painters who attended the commemoration.

“I paint resisting women”

Sazan Ekber spoke to our news agency about her murals. “Actually, I paint about struggles as well as massacres,” she said, “I am very interested in painting women fighters. I paint about massacres because I don’t want these massacres to be forgotten. I also paint resisting women, who made history.”

“Art is important to create a memory”

Sazan Ekber thinks art is an important means to create a memory. “We are a nation divided into four parts. Painting our own realities is as important as painting free women and a free country. I want to perform my art freely in my country. I want to paint with happiness,” she told us.