Behind the Veil by Constance Guidotti

Press Release

Constance Guidotti’s mixed media images of Afghan women "Behind The Veil" was inspired by her 1988 travels to Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan to photograph a rug-weaving project for the
International Refugee Services. She continues to work with the organization, which is based in Fremont, California which has the largest population of Afghans in the United States and will be the sister city to Kabul in Afghanistan.

Guidotti created these images to honor the Afghan women she met who were living in camps or in the cities of Peshawar and Quetta. She spent a great deal of time with these women in their quarters, "behind the veil" and was impressed by their strength, dignity, power and beauty,
inspite of the hardships they endured and continue to endure. After the September 11th tragedy she felt compelled to create the images and to share them with others.

The gallery is located at 1018 Main Street on the corner of Middlefield and Main Street in Redwood City. It occupies a yellow Victorian cottage built in 1857 in a beautiful garden setting next to the public library and across from the new Redwood City Plaza and City Hall. Parking is available behind the gallery and in the adjacent public parking lot. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 650-701-1018. www.themaingallery.org.

For more information call the gallery at (650)701-1018.