
5 minute read
erewor
from 2012-07 Brisbane
by Indian Link
The true trauma experienced by asylum seekers in detention centres comes alive through their artwork
hey say a picture paints a d10usand words. But as ] fixed my gaze upon Kama!esh's hanowing oil painting, I bega n to wonder whed1er di e age -old idi om did this work enough justice. We'd talked abom h is time at Villawood Immigration Detention Cenu:e plenty of ti m es before. Yet, nothing he had previously told me quite articu lated t he gri mness of life in mandatory detention as vividly as this pai n ting did. This p icmre didn't just paint a thousand words. It spoke infinite, Ltoutcerable words of pain and torture. Kamalesh, a Sri Lankan refugee who spent more chan cwo years detained at V illawood IDC, was evenmaJJy granted his visa in September 2011. The artwork, wh ich he describes as "refugee feeling," was painted whil e he was still in detention
I asked him how long he'd been painting, co which he replied, ''Befo re detention, I had not painted".
I knew he muse h ave been pulling my leg. The qualicy of Karnalesh's work clearly attested co a lifetime of making art. Bue from his serious cone of voice, L knew he wasn't lying.
"I learned how co paint from che TVS program Masterclass in Oils 1Pith Ken Horri.r. He is my master," he said w ith a chuckle. ''\v'hen I was in detention, I never missed iliac shmv"
Bur co create paintings with such intricacy and depch, be needed specific brushes and oil paints. Detainees he ld in Villawood IDC are rarely p e r mitted beyond che centre prern ises. It would have been impossible for Kamalesh to go shopping for resot1rces. \Xlhile
Ken Harr is caught Kama!esh che very basic skills required in l andscape painting, ic was d1e volunteers at tbe Refugee Art Project tl1at provided him with most of d1e necessary materials he needed to make his art, and gave him the encouragement and profess ional guidance he needed co hone his skills
"One of d1e most fu lfilling p arts of mis project is seeing detainees en joy them selves in art, and then develop cheir own creative vision an d style in spite of the many burdens and constraints chat are p laced upon them This was the case w i d1 Kamalesh," said Dr Safdar Ahmed, founder and director of the p roject.
The Refugee Art Project began in late 2010 as an iniciative co provide art classes for as ylum seeke r s in detention , and co showcase d1eir c reacive work in pub lic exhib itions. More d1an a ye ar later, the projec t remai n s in full swing.
According to the project's webs ite, most of d1e artworks done b y detainees share the d1emes of trauma, exile, hope and enduran ce The project's key intentio n is m express d1e stories and experiences of refugees in a manner that fruitfuUy engages w i d1 d1e general public.
''\Vhile refugee supporters do essential and valuable work, it occurred co us chat asylum seekers are too often being spoken for or abour, wid1 little room to speak for themselves" said Dr Ahmed. "Tims, our idea was to empower refugees by giving d1em a voice through art to ilie wider community"
Villa.wood IDC bolds asylum seekers from di fferenc parts of che world. l ot al.I of d1em have a good grasp of English , let alone a basic t1nderscandi ng of it. Arc g ives everyone d1e equal opportunity to speak d1eir minds withou t having to use accuaJ word s
"I was able to express my feelings d1rough painting," said Karna!esh ' Whatever materi als I n eeded, I asked Safdar and he brought d1em in for me."
An aspect of Kamalesh's artwork that 1 fmmd parcicularly striking was the tears of b lood seeping from the hoUowed eyes of the eerie hu m anoid tree in ilie central foreground of che painting. When I asked Ka m a!esh what d1ese blood y tears meant he said, "Great sadness " Was the concorted figure meant co be him?
He smi led and shook h is head "No le can be any refugee d1at is suffet:ing from being in detention fo r such a long time," was his poignant answer.
On March 30, a parliamentary inquiry i nto rnandatocy detention confirmed tbac 90 percent of detainees suffer clinicall y significant depression. The report also stated that ha! f ch is nt1m ber is diagnosed w ith pose-traumatic stress disorder, and a quarter
Artworks by Kamalesh
Tamil asylum seeker
Christmas Island boat tragedy
Dove
Sri Lankan army bombing the Tamils
Right:
Kamalesh (extreme right) with mates at the Refugee Art Project's kitchen open day '' report having suicidal thoughts.
An aspect of Kamalesh's artwork that I found particularly striking was the tears of blood seeping from the hollowed eyes of the eerie humanoid tree in the central foreground of the painting.
1 asked Dr Ahmed about the impact the project has had on d1e mental bealch of detainees al Villawood. "The act of art- making certainl y pw,ides a polnL of immersion ducing which detainees can forget about their problems, so it is therapeutic in that way," he said.
Karnalesh agreed. "\\;' hen 1 was inside mr room, I "\vouJd always feel tension. But when l attended the: arr classes in the visitor's area, J was able to mix with different people and do painting. This made my mind feel relaxed," he re,7 ealed.
BuL Dr Ahmed made it clear that art d1erapy cannot significantly in1prove symptoms of mental illness. "We don't see mucl1 cl1ance of really helping people until they are taken out of the environment that is mak ing them sick in Lhe first place, which is d1e detention centre," he said.
Nonetheless, the momemarr solace and enjoyment that Kamalesb found when he mindfu.lly engaged in painting was one of the most memorab le parts of his time in detention. ln fact, he and other detainees who also participated in the art classes and have since been granted visas, continue tQ maintain links with d1c: ptojecL Some have even had Lhe rewarding opportunity to see their own artworks publicly disp layed.
Recencl)', the project hoste<l the highly successful L!fe i11 LJn7/Jo exhib ition at the Braemer Gallery in the Blue Mountains. The exhibition, whid1 contains a series of works produced entirely by asylum seekers, will aL~o he disp layed in Sydney's UTS building d1roughom July and will trave l to Melbourne in early October.
Dr Ahmed believes the presentation of these artworks wiU have a positive impacr on the 1\ustrali,'ln public.
·'We are hoping to ge t lots of people into the c..xhibit.ion ancl really open their eyes Lo d1e inspiring talent, perseverance and promise of those who are so unfairly locked away in our detention centres," said Dr 1\hmed
·'The work in this exhibition shows the tenacity, hope and faith of people who have fled the most hellish circumstances to tr)' and forge a new life for themselves and their families, and they should be admired and supported for cl1ar," he concluded.