Art and Refuge — Imprisoned Voices — March 2007

Art exhibition at Armoury Café and Exhibition Centre at the Glencree Peace and Reconciliation Centre

“My art is about life, about hope, about remembering, about celebration, about renewal” says Limerick based artist Jean Ryan Hakizimana. Often taking Africa as his inspiration Jean Ryan negotiates diverse memories from his homelands of Burundi and Rwanda. He frequently is inspired by the beautiful natural environment that he knew as a child but his repertoire also includes images that recall the horrific genocide that he experienced throughout the nineties.

“Art is an expression of what is in my soul. There is a spiritual dimension to it. It speaks to other people on that soul level.” These are the words of Georgian-born artist Roman Argutinsky. Struggling to tell me what his art means and despite having fluent English Roman insists, “I cannot easily express it to you in English because the words, the concepts come to me in Russian”.

“All I want is to hold a camera in my hands again, to practice my art” photographic Kurdish artist Dilman Ahmedi told me when he arrived in Ireland after fleeing in fear from his home in Iran with just one small case which held a number of his precious photos. There was little I could do except enrol him in an upcoming photography project being held at SPIRASI – an NGO that works with asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. Along with eight other participants he took part in a project that introduced the use of photography as a narrative tool of expression. Armed with cheap cameras and three rolls of film they were each asked to depict – across the span of just one day - their views of Ireland, and their lives within that Ireland. Two to three photos from each participant were chosen to encapsulate that view and this selection is also being exhibited at Glencree.

One thing is shared by these artists; they have come from abroad to seek refuge in Ireland, seeking to be granted refugee status under the grounds of the Geneva Convention – seeking freedom from fear and the right of protection. All have availed of the services of SPIRASI which gives holistic care in the form of education, art workshops and care for the survivors of torture. Roman Argutinsky has been in Ireland 6 years and is awaiting a further appeal on his case. Jean Ryan is in Ireland 4 years and he too awaits an appeal. Dilman is in Ireland only 4 months. His case too could take years. As asylum seekers they cannot work or attend university. Jean Ryan has had little formal art training. Dilman and Roman have University degrees but no outlet for their skills and on €19 a week Dilman cannot even afford a camera to practice his art. Despite the barriers presented to them their artistic expression remains their lifeline but in their current life circumstances their art can never be fully free.