Founded in 2014 in the heart of Kabul, Afghanistan, ArtLords emerged as a grassroots movement of artists and volunteers, driven by the desire to harness the transformative power of art. Our story began with a bold vision: to use the blank walls of Kabul as canvases to paint messages of peace, hope, and social change.

Rania Mamoun is a Sudanese activist and writer of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. She completed Something Evergreen Called Life, a poetry manuscript written during COVID-19 quarantine, translated into English by Yasmine Seale and published by Action Books in March 2023. Rania has published two novels to great international acclaim, Green Flash and Son of the Sun, and Thirteen Months of Sunrise, a short story collection shortlisted for the 2020 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation. In January 2024, she published her second book since she came to the US, A Woman Alone under the Neem Tree in Arabic, by Elmosawarat Publishing. Her writing has appeared in English, Korean, French, and Spanish translation. She is a writer-in-residence at City of Asylum Pittsburgh since 2019.

Anouar Rahmani is an Algerian novelist, journalist, and human rights defender whose literary work boldly challenges societal norms and advocates for freedom of expression, LGBTQ+ rights, and social justice. Born in 1992, Rahmani has emerged as a fearless and uncompromising voice in Algerian and Arabic literature, using fiction as a powerful tool to confront authoritarianism, religious dogma, and the erasure of marginalized identities. Forced into exile due to threats and repression, Rahmani now resides in the United States, where he continues his literary and advocacy work. His writing is not merely an artistic pursuit—it is an act of resistance, reshaping contemporary Arabic literature and amplifying the voices of silenced communities.

Mai Khôi, an acclaimed singer, composer, and activist, rose to fame in 2010 as one of Vietnam’s first female songwriters, winning prestigious awards. Disillusioned with government censorship, she entered politics, sparking national debate and meeting with Barack Obama in 2016. Despite facing hardships including concert raids and police detention, Mai Khôi remains dedicated to activism. In 2016, she founded Mai Khôi Chém Gió, blending protest music with traditional Vietnamese melodies. She later joined Seaphony, uniting Southeast Asian ethnic minority musicians. Leading Mai Khôi and the Dissidents, she explores avant-garde jazz and eclectic themes, including protest anthems.Khôi is developing “Bad Activist,” a multimedia production advocating democracy. Since 2019, she’s resided in the USA, receiving recognition as a resident artist and earning prestigious awards like the 2018 Václav Havel Prize and the 2022 Four Freedoms Award and was Artist Protection Fund alumna.

Julie Trébault is the Executive Director of the Artists at Risk Connection. Prior to joining PEN America, she served as director of public programs at the Museum of the City of New York and the Center for Architecture. Before moving to New York, she worked at the National Museum of Ethnology in The Netherlands where she built a network of 116 museums. From 2004 until 2007, she was Head of Higher Education and Academic Events at the Musée du quai Branly (Paris). Trébault holds a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from the Sorbonne University and a Master’s Degree in Archeology from the University of Strasbourg.

Omaid Sharifi is an acclaimed artivist and the President of ArtLords, a global collective of artivists dedicated to harnessing creativity for social transformation and advocating artistic freedom worldwide. With over two decades of expertise, Omaid’s visionary leadership has driven numerous impactful projects championing freedom, democracy, and human rights through art in Afghanistan, the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond.
A celebrated thought leader, Omaid has enriched his advocacy through fellowships at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, the Atlantic Council, and the Asia Society. He currently serves as a board member of CIVICUS, reinforcing global citizen action and vibrant civil society. Vital Voices recently recognized his unwavering commitment by honoring him with the esteemed Solidarity Award.

Negina Azimi, is an Afghan visual artist whose journey began on the streets and walls of Kabul as a member of ArtLords, a grassroots collective that used art as a tool for social change and peaceful resistance. Her murals transformed the blast walls of the city into vibrant messages of hope, justice, and healing—challenging extremism and giving voice to the everyday struggles and dreams of Afghan people.
Now living in Vermont, she continues to carry forward that mission through her art. Her contributions to the Unseen Afghanistan exhibit at the United Nations and her ongoing work with the New Vermonters in Brattleboro reflect her deep commitment to storytelling, cultural memory, and community engagement. Through her work, she bridges her past in Afghanistan with her present life in the U.S., using art to connect, to heal, and to honor where she comes from.

Born in Afghanistan during the Civil War, Abdullah Elhan honed his artistic skills in Pakistan, learning painting, calligraphy, and Persian Miniatures. After returning to Kabul for higher education, he joined ArtLords, painting murals promoting social change. Fleeing Taliban rule, he now resides in Brattleboro, Vermont, collaborating on cross-cultural murals, curating film screenings, and collaborating on art projects with local non-profit organizations.

Cédric Duroux was born in 1981. His studies in English led him to focus on the works of Robert McLiam Wilson (Eureka Street) and Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City). He joined the Villa Gillet team in 2005 (Lyon, France), where he became the programming director until 2016 when he founded October Octopus, a cultural programming agency specializing in the development of intellectual debates and literature. The agency conceives programs and produces festivals, conferences, seminars, and educational programs. Among its major projects, October Octopus co-organized the “À l’École de l’Anthropocène” festival with the École urbaine de Lyon and Cité Anthropocène (since 2018), provides programming consultancy and press relations for the CCCB in Barcelona, Spain (since 2018), and curates the “fiction, non-fiction, and poetry” sessions for the Paris Book Festival in partnership with “et tuttiquanti…” (since 2024). The agency also coordinated “Cultures d’Avenir” with the OFAJ, Centre Pompidou, La Gaîté Lyrique, HKW (Berlin), and CCCB (2024), and co-organizes the “AgorAkademi” seminar by Nilüfer Göle with Columbia University in Paris (since 2023). He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Wartists, Inc. (DBA ArtLords).
He published a novel, Les Animaux sentimentaux (Buchet Chastel, 2016), and his next novel is set to be released by Actes Sud editions in 2026 (in France).

Kabir Mokamel is a visionary artist recognized internationally for his bold approach to visual storytelling. As the Co-Founder and Creative Director of ArtLords, Kabir has spent over thirty years pushing boundaries across mediums—from striking murals and evocative paintings to graphic design and street art.
His creative leadership at ArtLords has earned global acclaim, capturing the attention of prestigious outlets, including The Art Newspaper, NBC News, KUOW Seattle, Al Jazeera, and The Los Angeles Times. Kabir’s artistic voice resonates profoundly in public spaces, transforming walls into dialogues of resilience, democracy, and social change. Previously hosted by The School of Art, Media, and Technology at The New School, Kabir continues to inspire through his commitment to art as activism, championing creativity as a force for positive global transformation.