Zahra Mardany Pur

Zahra Mardany Pur was born in 2004 in Kabul. She attended the HAK up to the fourth grade, and then worked for a year as a florist. Afterwards, she began her apprenticeship at Erste Bank and is completing her Matura alongside it. In her free time, she paints.

What are your biggest challenges?

Positioning myself confidently in everyday working life is one of my biggest challenges. And showing that competence, commitment and personality are more important than external characteristics.

When people see me for the first time, it often happens that they put me into a box. They see my headscarf, and immediately questions arise: Where does she come from? How does she think? Is she strict? Is she conservative?

Many people do not know my lived reality and therefore have prejudices. That is difficult for me.

I consciously try to show my true side through my personality and to break this first impression.

Often a single conversation is enough. A bit of small talk, a shared laugh. And suddenly, that image often disappears.

How do you deal with such situations specifically?

Quite simple, really: I talk to people.

I quickly notice when someone doesn’t really know me yet, but only has an idea of me. Then I try to start a conversation. And most of the time, everything resolves quite naturally.

Every person has prejudices. I do too. That is not negative per se.

If someone sees that I am wearing a headscarf and thinks, ‘She is probably Muslim,’ then that is simply an observation. It only becomes difficult when a sense of separation arises from it.

You take on a lot of responsibility. How do you feel about that?

I like taking on responsibility. Even in school, I was class representative and school representative. I enjoy organising things clearly and standing up for others.

I also support my younger siblings and my parents in my family. For my father, for example, I create the decoration for his shoemaker’s workshop every year at Christmas.

I like helping, but personally, I also take a lot into my own hands and don’t always ask for help. That is a strength, but sometimes also a weakness.

I am learning to delegate tasks over time. But it is a process.

What strengthens you in everyday life?

The values of my family strengthen me: discipline, personal responsibility, and cohesion.

And my creative side. It helps me stay in balance.

I have been painting for many years. Mainly landscapes with acrylic and oil paints on canvas. In the past, I used to doodle freely, without lessons, without a plan. Later, I watched videos by Bob Ross and was immediately excited. His way of bringing landscapes to life inspired me. Since then, I have mainly painted nature motifs.

Today my paintings are less realistic than before. Sometimes it is a sea with a small boat, sometimes more abstract landscapes with strong colours. But there is always something personal in them.

When do you paint? And what does painting mean to you?

I do not paint regularly, but always based on feeling. When something moves me emotionally — it can be something beautiful or something difficult — I often feel the desire to bring it onto the canvas.

I usually paint at night, when everything is quiet. With headphones and music in my ears. Then I am completely with myself. While I paint, I think. I process things, and afterwards I usually feel better.

My sister says that my emotions show in my paintings. If I was sad, they seem lonelier. If I am happy, the colours are stronger.

Painting helps me to let go of things or consciously hold on to something beautiful. It clears my mind and creates space for something new.

What would you advise other women who want to start being creative?

Just start — don’t overthink it.

I never took a course. I just started doodling. A blank canvas, a few colours, and off you go!

At the beginning it is difficult. You don’t know what to paint. But as soon as you start, something emerges. And even if you don’t like it, you can change it, paint over it, or rethink it.

It doesn’t have to be perfect or realistic. It is for yourself.