Shah's Art


​Shah's Art

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    • LEMON SHUGS (Flower MUGS)
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Caged Bird


Dignity | Freedom | Future




Picture
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS.
​
​"The caged bird sings
With a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom". 
​
Poet: Maya Angelou

Picture

Shah Tawassuli spends his days in a Surabaya prison camp.
That's where he 'lives'. Where his body is held. It's his cage.
Imprisoned for years without ever committing a crime.


​Yet each day he 'sings'.  Each day he rises above that cage.

He plays football, encourages his friends, cuts their hair. Cares.
He teaches English to fellow inmates. Small things, big impact.


And he draws !!  Beautiful, clever, simple, life like line drawings.
Drawings of fragile busy birds and delicate, sunny flowers.


An artist who loves to create when he can scrounge the paper.
There is always a shortage of paper and fear of ink running out. Such is the nature of the detention centre where he lives.



Picture

​
​
There is never enough of the important things to sustain a life.
No Care or family or work or love or home or hope or freedom.
Yet he draws flowers reaching for the sun and birds flying free.
He is young and strong and hopeful and focussed and clever.


Shah Tawassuli is determined to transcend and survive and live.
He is daily learning and forming and coming into his own.
He is growing in his awareness that he must journey to freedom.

He is gathering strength
Summoning his powers
Biding his time
Learning the facts
Honing his skills.

Deeply aware that he must shape and form and find his freedom.

Staunchly determined to make his life a tribute to the family who were snatched away from him by evil forces in Afghanistan.

Remarkably positive and determined to rebuild and thrive.
Ready to create a new life wherever he can put down new roots.
Accepting of the sacrifices and bravery needed to journey on.

Without hesitation or doubt he daily thinks about and calculates the ways he will rescue the one family member waiting for him.
Now the man of the family he faces these enormous tasks.
Picture

​Shah is a true hero of the world's current refugee crisis.
He is an asylum seeker due to horror and terror and danger.

This young man is on his true and genuine freedom quest.
There was no question that he could stay in Afghanistan.
He is Hazara. The world wouldn't have him had he stayed.


The world needs him.

His skill and heart and art and attitude affect lives where he is.
His inspiration and vision and courage will change lives all over.
He will be a leader. Indonesia's Behrouz. An artist, maybe a writer.
​
He is one of Earth's 65 million people currently on the move.
He is a remarkable one.


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Indonesian
Picture
Detention
Picture
Centres

Shah's Art:  Freedom From The Inside Out


  • Latest News
  • Shah's Art
  • Caged Bird
  • Shah's Cards
  • Back Cover Bio
  • Shah's Card Shop
    • Beautiful Birds (Black Line Cards)
    • Fragile Flowers (Black Line Cards)
    • Bolder Birds (Colour Cards)
    • Freedom Flowers (Colour Cards)
    • Wisdom Words (Colour Cards)
    • Mother's Day Cards (Colour)
  • Shah's Mugs Shop
    • LEMON SHUGS (Flower MUGS)
    • ORANGE SHUGS (Flower MUGS)
    • GARDEN SHUGS (FLOWER mugs.)
    • FREEDOM SHUGS (Caged Bird mugs)
  • Blog
  • Contact