Qasem Foushanji

Abul Qasem Foushanji (aka Dark Artery) born in 1987 (Afghanistan) is an Afghan free lance artist. His style is mostly Abstract and Abstract Expressionism. He does painting, photography and mixed media.

Along with his family, he spent 18 years of his life in Iran. For about four years, during his childhood, he learned Realism painting from his Armenian master. After that he never went through any academy for arts. He was graduated from high school in Tehran in 2004, and it was the same year that he came back to his origin, Afghanistan.

Two years later, he went to India to do a course in Commerce at Osmania University (Hyderabad), and came back in 2008. As Metal music has been a part of his life, and it was all a new life experience in India, Qasem started painting in the field of Modern Art in his second year of staying in that country. At that time his paintings and drawings were more linked to the theme of “weakness and the failure of human body”.

After coming back from India, he continued working on paintings more concentrated, and was selected as one of Top10 artists for the 2nd Afghan Contemporary Art Prize. Since then, his works have been on several group exhibitions in Kabul. Qasem often reflects the unclean and dark aspects of life.

He believes “most of the people ignore such aspects, because it is not beautiful. But showing it more can be a way to create solutions.” The artists that he is inspired by are Clyfford Still, Jackson Pollock, Led Zeppelin, Marilyn Manson, and Cannibal Corpse.