Jin. Jîyan. Azadî. / Žena. Život. Sloboda.

Jin, Jiyan, Azadi / Žena, život, sloboda

SCROLL FOR ENGLISH

U svom novom ciklusu Jin, Jiyan, Azadî Jan Jafo polazi od iskustava Kurdkinja iz Rojave*, ali se odlučuje ne prikazivati ih prvenstveno kroz prizore rata i nasilja. Žene na njegovim radovima doje djecu, grle se, plešu, sviraju i pletu kosu. Istodobno su tu oružje, vojna odjeća i motiv odrezane kose, podsjetnici na prijetnju koja je dio njihove svakodnevice. Briga, prijateljstvo, majčinstvo i zajedništvo zato se u ovim radovima ne mogu odvojiti od otpora. Otpor nije vezan samo uz oružanu borbu, nego i uz očuvanje jezika i kulture, odnosa i sjećanja, ali i uz jednostavan nastavak svakodnevnog života.

Središnji motiv ciklusa je pletenica. Ponekad je dio ženske figure, ponekad je vidimo dok je žene pletu, a na nekim se radovima potpuno odvaja od tijela i postaje gotovo samostalni znak. Taj intiman, tjelesni motiv nosi značenja pripadnosti, dostojanstva i kontinuiteta, ali ujedno govori o ranjivosti. Kosu je moguće odsjeći, no ono što ona predstavlja time ne nestaje. Jafo se pritom osvrće i na nasilje nad Kurdkinjama, među ostalim na rezanje pletenica kao čin poniženja i pokušaj simboličkog oduzimanja identiteta. Na drugim radovima pletenice povezuju žene u grupu, dok zagrljaji, isprepletene ruke i zajednički pokret stvaraju kolektivno tijelo. Pojedinačna priča prelazi u iskustvo sestrinstva i uzajamne podrške. Ovom dojmu pridonosi i način na koji Jafo gradi figure: lica su često prazna ili tek naznačena pa slike ne funkcioniraju kao portreti određenih osoba već se individualnost umjesto kroz fizionomiju pojavljuje kroz geste, odjeću, kosu i međusobne odnose. Reducirani crtež, velike plohe intenzivne zelene, žute, crne i povremeno crvene boje daju radovima neposrednost i gotovo znakovni karakter. Detalji tradicionalne odjeće, tkanina i ornamenata pritom uvode kulturno pamćenje u samo tijelo slike.

Naslov ciklusa preuzima kurdski slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî odnosno Žena, život, sloboda, koji je iz kurdskog ženskog pokreta prerastao u mnogo širi poziv na političku i društvenu slobodu. U Jafinim radovima te se riječi prirodno preklapaju. Život je prisutan u odnosima među ženama i u tijelu koje može biti izloženo nasilju, ali istodobno nosi sjećanje. Sloboda se, pak, ne pojavljuje kao apstraktan ideal, nego kao nešto što zajednica pokušava sačuvati i kroz otpor i kroz svakodnevni život.

Ana Kovačić

*Rojava obuhvaća područja na sjeveroistoku Sirije s većinskim ili značajnim kurdskim stanovništvom. Tijekom rata u Siriji ondje su od 2012. uspostavljene autonomne političke i društvene strukture, a kurdske ženske postrojbe imale su važnu ulogu u borbama protiv tzv. Islamske države (IS). Tijekom 2026. položaj regije ponovno se znatno mijenja: dotadašnja autonomija slabi, a veći dio teritorija dolazi pod izravniju kontrolu sirijskih vlasti. Promjene prati nova nesigurnost, kao i strah od nasilja i pritisaka nad kurdskim stanovništvom.

 

Jan Jafo rođen je 2002. godine. Vizualni je umjetnik kurdskog porijekla koji živi i radi u Zagrebu. Medijski je tehničar, a uz umjetnički rad aktivno volontira u udruzi Are You Syrious? i sudjeluje u programima POKAZ-a. Posljednjih godina razvija svoj izraz kroz izložbe, murale, performanse i suradnje na nezavisnoj kulturnoj sceni. U radu istražuje identitet, jezik i granice koje oblikuju čovjeka i zajednicu. Samostalne izložbe: Pravda i nepravda (Knjižnica Dugave), Bijeg od stvarnosti (Culture Hub Croatia Split), Riya min - Moj put (Pogon Jedinstvo), Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Galerija Siva) i kolektivni rad: Jezik i dom (KONTEJNER). U suradnjama sa Selmom Banich, Pogonom, Festivalom tolerancije, Centrom mladih Ribnjak i drugima, stvara murale, ilustracije i performanse. Često vodi likovne radionice za mlade i zajednicu jer vjeruje da umjetnost povezuje ljude i otvara prostor slobode.

 

Izložba je likovni dio programa Kozmopolit Lab, osmišljenog u okviru programa SviMi, koji su pokrenule Knjižnice grada Zagreba.

Program Kozmopolit Lab sufinanciran je sredstvima Ministarstva kulture i medija Republike Hrvatske, Grada Zagreba i European Cultural Foundation.

Ovaj događaj organiziran je uz financijsku podršku Zaklade Kultura nova, čiji je nositelj Operacija grad.

 

Jin, Jiyan, Azadî / Woman, Life, Freedom

In his new cycle Jin, Jiyan, Azadî, Jan Jafo draws upon the experiences of the Kurdish women of Rojava*, opting not to depict them primarily through images of war and violence. Instead, the women in his works breastfeed their children, hug each other, dance, play music and braid their hair, while at the same time, weapons, military uniforms and motifs of cut hair are present, reminders of the threats of their everyday life. Care, friendship, motherhood and unity, in these works, cannot be separated from resistance. Resistance is not tied just to their armed struggle, but also to preserving their language and culture, relationships and memories, and a simple, everyday life.

The central motif of the cycle is the braid. Sometimes as part of the female figure, other times in the process of being braided, while also sometimes being completely removed from the body and becoming a solitary symbol. This intimate, corporeal motif carries the meaning of belonging, dignity and continuity, but also vulnerability. Hair can be cut off, but what it symbolises does not disappear. Jafo also references violence against Kurdish women, especially the act of cutting off their braids as an act of humiliation and an attempt to symbolically take away their identity. In his other works, the braids connect the women into a group, while hugs, entwined hands and shared movement create a collective body. Individual stories transfer into experiences of sisterhood and mutual support. Jafo’s way of constructing their figures contributes to this impression: faces are often blank or merely hinted, so the pictures do not function as portraits of specific people, instead opting to show individuality through gestures, clothes, hair and mutual relations, rather than physiognomy. Simplified drawings, large surfaces of intense green, yellow, black and, occasionally, red give the impression of immediacy and an almost symbolistic character. The details of traditional clothing, fabrics and ornaments, meanwhile, introduce cultural memory into the work itself.

The title of the cycle takes from the Kurdish slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî, meaning Woman, Life, Freedom, which has grown from a Kurdish women’s national movement, into a much larger call for political and social freedom. In Jafo’s works, these words intertwine. Life is present in the relationships between women and in the body which can be subjected to violence, while at the same time carrying memory. Freedom is not represented as an abstract ideal, but rather as a goal that their community is trying to preserve through resistance and everyday life.

Ana Kovačić

*Rojava is part of the region of Southeastern Syria, with a majority or significant Kurdish population. During the Syrian Civil War, since 2012 it was the base for autonomous political and social resistance structures, where Kurdish women’s fighting units had a significant role in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). During 2026, the position of the region once again changes: their previous autonomy is declining and a majority of the territory falls under more direct control of the Syrian government. The changes are met with uncertainty, as well as fear of violence and pressure against the Kurdish people.

Jan Jafo was born in 2002. He is a visual artist of Kurdish origin, living and working in Zagreb. A media technician by profession, in addition to his artistic work, he is a volunteer in Are You Syrious? and takes part in POKAZ’s programmes. For the past several years, he has been developing his expression through exhibitions, murals, performances and collaborations on the independent cultural scene. In his work he explores identity, language and borders that shape people and societies. Stand-alone exhibitions: Justice and Injustice (Dugave Library), Escape from Reality (Culture Hub Croatia, Split), Riya min -  My Way (Pogon Jedinstvo),  Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Gallery Siva) and the collaborative work: Language and Home (KONTEJNER). In collaboration with Selma Banich, Pogon, Festival of Tolerance, Youth Centre Ribnjak and others, he creates murals, illustrations and performances. He regularly leads artistic workshops for youth and the community, because he believes that art connects people and opens space for freedom.

 

This exhibition is part of the Kozmopolit Lab programme, developed as part of the SviMi programme, initiated by the Zagreb City Libraries.
The Kozmopolit Lab programme is co-financed through the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Zagreb and the European Cultural Foundation.

This event is organised with financial support from the Kultura Nova foundation and their beneficiary, Operation City.

Operacija grad