In the fall of 2011, I deployed to southern Afghanistan to help build local governance capacity. As I worked with them, and sat in meetings, I would often draw the participants. Sometimes I gave the drawings to the subject as a way to do diplomacy through art. In the fall of 2012, after my return home, the University of North Carolina at Asheville exhibited 47 of these drawings. Here are 20 of them.

1. Faces of
Afghanistan
Drawings of Afghans in Kandahar Province
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

2. Background
I went to Afghanistan in the fall of 2011 as a State
Department officer. I worked in Kandahar Province, the
volatile homeland of the Taliban, to help local officials
and elders to build their capabilities. Often, while sitting
in meetings, I would sketch some of the participants.
They have wonderful faces for an artist: strong, proud, full
of character, and lined with the stresses of living the past
30 years at war. These sketches were a way of
understanding them, of learning who they were as
individuals. Some of them were highly educated officials,
while others had little or no schooling. Many were
mujahedeen who had fought the Soviets. Most were now
farmers. Some were village elders. There were even a few
with ties to the Taliban. Almost all were trying to
provide, as best they could, for their families. Here, then,
are some of the individuals that I encountered.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

3. A.M.
Graphite on paper
8.5”x5”
This gentleman was a self-appointed
custodian at one of the District
Centers. He was a very cheerful
man, always smiling, and happy to do
anything he could to help out.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

4. Battle Damage Claimant
Graphite on paper
8.5”x5”
This one-eyed elder had some of his
property damaged in a battle
between US troops and insurgents.
He came to a meeting to request
repayment for his losses. His claim
was backed up by the report from the
US troops, so we paid him.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

5. Bazaar Merchant
Ink on paper
8.5”x5”
Merchants in the bazaars were
always interested in discussing any
plans to help improve their business.
This very dignified gentleman came
to a meeting about installing solarpowered lights, which would allow
them to stay open late.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

6. Tribal Elder
Pastel on toned paper
11.5”x9”
Afghanistan is very tribal and a
person’s identity is tied in to his tribal
affiliations. In Kandahar, there were
dozens of tribes, some closely
related, others not. This highly
respected elder was a member of
one of the smaller tribes.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

7. Consultation
Ink on paper, 8”x11”
These two gentlemen worked very closely together during district meetings. One was an elder for a
village, the other a government official.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

8. Haji D.M.
Graphite on paper
8.5”x5”
“Haji” is a term of respect that is
given to someone who has made the
hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. This
man was one of the most respected
leaders in the district. He lived in a
Taliban-controlled area, but
frequently came to district meetings.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

9. Haji Kasan
Ink on lined notebook paper
7”x4”
I didn’t always have my art materials
with me. Sometimes I just used what
was available, which was usually a
small notebook and a ballpoint pen.
Haji Kasan had a very striking
appearance, and his fiery
temperament always made him a
man to watch.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

10. H.S.K.
Graphite on paper
11”x8”
This man was one of the most
important men in his district. Short
(about 5’) and wiry, he had been a
mujahedeen commander against the
Soviets. Now he’s a fairly wealthy
businessman and a leader in district
affairs. The Taliban have tried at
least three times to kill him.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

11. In the Shura
Ink on paper, 5”x8.5”
A “shura” is a formal meeting where important things are discussed and decided. Some are open only
to selected members and others to the public at large. These men owned shops in the local bazaar
and attended this shura to discuss a bazaar development project.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

12. Little Girl
Pastel on toned paper
11.5”x9”
Young children played all around the
district center. Most of the boys were
highly skilled pickpockets. Girls were
shy around men, but loved our
female soldiers. This very serious
young girl seemed to have an
understanding of the world far
beyond her years.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

13. Kuchi Elder
Ink on paper
8.5”x5”
Members of the Kuchi tribe are the
gypsies of Afghanistan. They are
nomads who move their herds
around the country and across the
border into Pakistan. Insurgents
often use Kuchis to transport drugs,
weapons, and other contraband.
Many Kuchis, though, want nothing to
do with the Taliban or insurgents.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

14. District Official
Pastel on toned paper
11”x9”
A district is roughly comparable to a
county. This district official was a
shrewd man. With a degree in
political science, he was the only man
in the district who had been to a
university.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

15. Two Elders
Graphite on paper, 8”x11”
Most of the people in our district were farmers, so any time an agricultural topic was to be discussed at
a shura, lots of people turned out. One of the two in this drawing was a local farmer while the other
represented an agricultural organization.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

16. Village Elder
Ink on lined notebook paper
7”x4”
We wanted to work with a village
strategically located between
government and Taliban controlled
areas. The elders tried to be neutral
and avoid the fighting that an
alignment with any side would bring.
This man was a very passionate and
well-spoken leader of the community.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

17. A. R.
Graphite on paper
11”x8”
This man was an elder in a village
near the district center. He was not
afraid to stand up in large meetings
and speak truth to high-level officials.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

18. Poppy Eradication Shura
Ink on paper, 5”x8.5”
Southern Afghanistan is the world’s leading supplier of poppy for heroin. The government made very
public efforts to reduce its production. This shura to discuss poppy eradication was heavily attended.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

19. Abdul Manan
Graphite on paper
8.5”x5”
“Abdul Manan” is a surprisingly
common name. We worked with four
in several different districts.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

20. Village Elder
Ink on paper
8.5”x5”
The weekly shuras could sometimes
get very hot. Afghan government
forces had tried to increase their
influence around one particular
village against significant Taliban
resistance. This elder came to the
shura to vehemently oppose the
government actions. He was not a
Taliban, he just wanted his village to
be left alone.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

21. Haji A. M.
Pastel on toned paper
11”x9”
This man was a regular at the weekly
shuras. He’s a very large man (well
over 6 ft) and very friendly. He loved
to talk with us about almost anything.
He was also a Taliban facilitator,
providing them with safe haven,
transportation, and supplies.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

22. Exhibition at the University of North Carolina at Asheville
In the fall of 2012, after my return from Afghanistan, 47 of these drawings were exhibited at UNC
Asheville in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery.
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde

23. About the Artist
Skip Rohde was a Navy officer for 22 years. After
retiring from the military, he earned a Bachelor of Fine
Arts from the University of North Carolina at Asheville
and opened his own studio. In 2008, he deployed to
Iraq with the State Department and the Army Corps of
Engineers to manage reconstruction projects around
the country. In 2011, he deployed to Afghanistan as a
governance advisor with the State Department. He has
now returned to his home and studio in the Asheville,
North Carolina, area.
Web site: www.skiprohde.com
Facebook: facebook.com/Studio.of.Skip.Rohde
Blog:
storypaintings.blogspot.com
Studio of Skip Rohde
© 2013 Skip Rohde