Afghan artist defies all odds - 6th March 2020

Without use of her hands or limbs, Afghan artist Robaba Mohammadi has surmounted incredible odds, facing down a population that routinely discriminates against women and disabilities.

Having taught herself to paint after being denied schooling as a child, the accomplished artist, only 19, clenches a brush between her teeth, conjuring elaborate, vivid artworks sold and exhibited internationally.

Survey data has revealed 1.5 million Afghanistan residents living with some degree of physical disability. With support woeful and stigmatisation widespread, Mohammadi’s response was to found a training centre to nurture other disabled artists.

Despite Mohammadi's congenital anomaly leaving her without the use of her limbs, envious of her siblings attending school, she taught herself to paint, read and write. And now, as any teenager, she engages in social media, typing with her tongue, and enjoys putting on makeup with friends.