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Art as Escape: A Refugee's Fiery Drawings
9 Nov
Summary
- Soraya Akhlaghi filmed her escape from Iran over five years.
- She uses drawings of the moon, fox, and clown to express feelings.
- Her art fuels resilience and helps define boundaries of home.
Soraya Akhlaghi's compelling self-portrait, captured over five years on a smartphone, offers a striking look at a refugee's perilous journey. Initially a maid in Tehran, the then 16-year-old Soraya faced numerous failed escape attempts while seeking to reunite with her mother in Austria.
Her story unfolds against a backdrop of returning to Iran and enduring a violent marriage, with her Afghan heritage underscoring her empathy for those fleeing the Taliban takeover. Despite constant setbacks and dangers, Soraya documented her experiences through her phone.
Fueled by an innate artistic talent, Soraya transforms her despair into intense drawings. Her recurring figures—the moon, a fox, and a clown avatar—represent longing, guidance, and inner strength, while her art also takes shape as sculptures.
These expressive outpourings are vividly animated in the film, lending a mythological quality to her Sisyphean struggles. Soraya's visual sense is also evident in her filming, framing chaotic migrant situations with clarity, underscoring art's role in resilience.
