Governor-General visited the exhibition Sparks in the Dark

In Melbourne, the Governor-General visited the exhibition Sparks in the Dark, a collaborative project by artists Mursal Aziz and Kat Rae, in partnership with Next Wave.

The exhibition featured 208 hand-embroidered pieces of fabric created by Afghan women, representing 208 weeks since restrictions on women's participation in Afghan society began in 2021.

Through embroidery, storytelling, and contemporary art practices, the exhibition highlighted Afghan women's voices, resilience, and cultural expression.

After viewing the embroidered works, the Governor-General participated in an interactive community table used to embroider messages back to the women in Afghanistan. She expressed thanks to Mursal, Kate and her daughter Imogen, Next Wave's Elyse Goldfinch, and the Australian National Veterans Museum's