Is the Image By Afghan Graffiti Artist Shamsia Hassani?

Rating:

• Image not made by Shamsia Hassani.
• The image, prepared by an advertising agency for The Reporter magazine, has been incorrectly shared since 2018.

While browsing the internet, we came across an interesting photo. This photo, which circulated on Twitter with the statement that it was the work of an Afghan graffiti artist, went viral.

The user gave the following explanation about this photo she shared in her tweet:

This creepy photo is the work of an Afghan artist named Shamsia Hassani. 33 years old, graffiti artist and professor at Kabul University. If we share or give, we will give voice and visibility to all Afghan women living in this hell of oppression…

We decided to hold a magnifying glass to examine this photo of a woman with her head uncovered and reading a book, unlike other women.

The Image was Designed By An Advertising Agency

First of all, we use the reverse image search method via TinEye to search for the original photo. Thus, we begin to examine the subject superficially. The results show a web page from Imgur, an interactive image-sharing site. On this web page dated August 2021, we come across this and some similar images.

The Photograph Delivers the Message of “The Reporter” Magazine “Questioning Radicalism”

In the images we came across on Imgur, we see the original version of this photo. Contrary to the image of the woman in question, the red book does not hold. The woman has the USA “The Reporter” magazine in her hand.

In the statement on the website, it is stated that the said photograph and other similar photographs were prepared by professional photographer Pavel Hejny for The Reporter magazine.

When we Google Pavel Hejny’s name, we come to the conclusion that he did indeed prepare these photos for the magazine in 2018. Created for The Reporter by the agency VMLY&R, this photo is available on Hejny’s website.

It seems that the photograph has spread so much beyond its purpose that the Afghan artist has made a statement on this subject. It makes me laugh that he wrote “This is NOT my artwork” in bold fonts on his post. A righteous rebellion.