During 2008 and 2009, the Afghani Women’s Group was involved in the ArtThink program provided by Relationships Australia (SA). The ArtThink program focuses on the use of art in multicultural communities to communicate knowledge, hope and understanding regarding mental health and wellbeing.

The Afghani Women’s Group met once a week in a community location to keep in touch and share their stories, while their children played in a safe social environment. During the ArtThink sessions, the women were able to talk and learn in a relaxed and supportive setting, while discussing topics regarding identity, culture, community and health.

The concept of the wall hanging came from the groups members, when discussing creative ways of communicating hope and mental wellbeing. The sunflower is bright and cheerful and each group member contributed to the piece by hand embroidering a petal, that was later sewn to the stamin of the sunflower.

The Hazara women of Afghanistan are renowned for their knitting, cross-stitching and their embroidery, using gilded threads incorporated into beautiful patterns and shapes. There are many types and styles of embroidery and the women have used seven different styles on the petals of the sunflower wall hanging.