How to Make and Mend a Keepsake

Hawa Kakar is a journalism student and storyteller who has lived in India for the past seven years, carrying with her the stories, colors, and memories of Afghanistan. She co-founded Anar Studio with her sisters — a creative space where they hand-paint tote bags, notebooks, and T-shirts that reflect Afghan identity and heritage.

As a documentary photographer, Hawa has worked with UNHCR on visual storytelling projects focused on memory and personal narratives. She is also part of Simurgh, a cultural center supported by the Goethe-Institut, where she helps organize community events and festivals celebrating Afghan culture.

Heela Kakar has lived in India for seven years, carrying the spirit of Afghanistan with her. A Bachelor of Commerce student at Delhi University, she balances her studies with ambition.

She is also the co-founder of Anar Studio, where she brings her vision to life through miniature paintings on tote bags. She is working as a librarian in a cultural center which is for Afghans, helping her community stay connected to their roots. Yet, her heart belongs to poetry and miniature painting, a world far from her studies but close to her soul. She finds solace in reciting the works of great Afghan poets and creating intricate paintings inspired by her ancestors, striving to preserve the beauty of her culture and language.

Maryam Kakar is a self-taught Afghan artist and writer based in India. Since 2018, her work has explored themes of culture, memory, and nostalgia through painting, photography, and storytelling reflecting on displacement and the preservation of Afghan identity. She is also the co-founder of Anar Studio, a creative project she runs with her sisters to share personal histories and everyday stories.