BIOGRAPHY

As an Afghan refugee in the late 1980s, Hafiz Farhad has always yearned for a simple life in America after living humbly in Afghanistan. Despite attending the Karachi School of Art in the early 1980s, Hafiz’s passion for art began later in life when he returned to Afghanistan for work. Although he wasn’t able to create artwork while there, he analyzed paintings for years. He would look for what the artist was thinking when painting and how it was achieved.  In 2012, he decided to settle down in New Mexico as he felt that the region was topographically similar to Afghanistan.

The fact that humans are able to duplicate nature through art intrigues and motivates Hafiz daily. He chiefly draws inspiration from gemstones, specifically how the light reflects off each one. Hafiz uses acrylic paint in order to express his creativity, painting contemporary abstract art. He believes that one should create things that bring happiness, “after a long day, personally I think I should see some happy colors on a canvas.” Hafiz’s first painting after adjusting to life in New Mexico was called “Harmony.” Harmony boasts shades of grays, yellows, and oranges. Now working with warm and cool colors, Hafiz enjoys juxtapose of colors, while emphasizing in textures and 3D paintings.