Published in Overland Issue 234 Autumn 2019 · Uncategorized Guest artist for Overland 234: Hoda Afshar Hoda Afshar Cover Artist’s Statement – cover Edris – Manus Island (2018) Edris is a Kurdish-Iranian refugee. He arrived at Australia’s shores in 2013 when he was only eighteen, before being sent to Manus Island – to Camp Delta, the harshest of all of Australia’s prison camps, as they call them there. Edris reminded me immediately of my younger brother in Iran. He described to me what being statelessness means, and how his dream of one day having an ID card sent him on this journey. He told me how his detention on Manus had become a nightmare equal to the one that he fled. I asked Edris what he will do with his freedom, if ever that day comes. He went silent, and looked away. Then he shyly replied, ‘I don’t know how freedom feels. I haven’t even seen it in my dreams yet.’ Later, when I returned from Manus and processed the films, this portrait of Edris came out blurry and vague. All that was left on the negative was the trace of his body, and that undreamt dream of his. Artwork for essay ‘That bird is for us’ Artwork for essay ‘Telling the untold stories’ Artwork for essay ‘The fire cult’ Artwork for essay ‘Combat breathing’ Artwork for essay ‘Not all yellow and white’ Artwork for essay ‘State your intentions’ Artwork for essay ‘Aqua Profonda’ Back cover art Read the rest of Overland 234 If you enjoyed this piece, buy the issue Or subscribe and receive four brilliant issues for a year Hoda Afshar Hoda Afshar was born in Tehran and is now based in Melbourne. Through her art practice, Hoda explores the nature and possibilities of documentary image-making. Her work has been widely exhibited locally and internationally, and published online and in print. hodaafshar.com More by Hoda Afshar › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays 8 May 202611 May 2026 · Nakata Brophy Prize The 2026 Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers (Poetry) Editorial Team Please follow this link to enter the prize. Sponsored by Trinity College at the University of Melbourne and supporters, the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers, established in 2014 […] 7 May 20267 May 2026 · Gaming Weaponised play: are loot boxes pokies for kids? Tom Gurn In the last decade, chance mechanics have been increasingly exploited by the video game industry to attract players, including very young ones. And while the federal government is clearly aware of the risks, it really isn’t clear what the right step forward is.
