About
Marwa Charmand is a Western Sydney visual artist, graphic designer and educator in adult education. For over a decade she has dedicated her artist career focusing on communities affected by war. Her aim is to bring the global urban warfare right to the doorstep of audiences who are geographically removed from conflict and many of whom have never experienced it.
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This topic not only inspires her to create but also inspires her to pay homage to her own family affected by warfare and the resilience they have shown over the years. Through drawing and painting Marwa highlights regions that she considers having been neglected and forgotten, hoping to create awareness and shift attitudes to the devastating impacts of urban war.
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Throughout her years as an artist Marwa has exhibited in numerous galleries and locations across Australia including the University of Queensland, Islamic Museum of Australia and numerous galleries across Australia.
In 2017, she was one of six artists selected across Australia to participate in the Vivid Ideas Cause & Effect exhibition. Over two months Marwa worked with the curators and created a body of work covering the theme of war and conflict.
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Maintaining the theme of war and conflict over the years, in 2022 Marwa was approached by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to work on a year-long project as the sole artist. The never before done exhibition saw Marwa work alongside the ICRC headquarters in Canberra to pitch and create an interstate travelling show. The exhibition opened in Canberra then travelled to the University of Queensland as part of the Visual Politics Roundtable: War in Cities program before travelling to Melbourne.
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More recently, she was selected to participate in the Anti-Racism Exhibition in 2024. Over the last few years she has won numerous awards for her artworks in the Casula Powerhouse Liverpool Art Society Exhibition.
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Marwa works as a visual arts educator in adult education and continues to freelance in graphic design. She has been involved in numerous Department of Education (DET) programs such as, art and wellness programs, designing products to commemorate 100 years to signage in schools.
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Although diversity is now being shown in the arts, she believes we still have a long way to go. Not only for her community but also outer communities who have assumptions about the people of Western Sydney.
Marwa believes her ideas are valuable to share with the local community to show that people from a diverse background (and women) can be creative, can question ideas and don’t always have to play it safe. It also shows the creativity that comes out of Western Sydney and all the great things they have to offer. Marwa aims to encourage young diverse creatives to take more action in the arts and show them that all stories, including confronting ones need to be told.