They’re gone, but the pictures remain: Chilling art from children of West Asian war victims

What is missing? Children create fragile order and give visual form to the world they see as full of color.

The paintings on display at the Iranian Embassy are full of innocence and hope and belong to the children who were killed when a school in Minab, Iran, was bombed into rubble on February 28, the day the Iran-U.S.-Israel war broke out. About 160 children aged 5 to 7 were killed.

The exhibition, titled “Minab Children Still Draw the Sun,” closed earlier this week. This is an art show like no other, less a celebration of creation than a mourning of its creators.

The artworks were discovered by Red Crescent staff in school bags buried under Shajare Tayebeh Girls’ Primary School and were then scanned and sent to the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi and many other embassies around the world.

A recurring Persian line at the bottom of most of the drawings reads: “May our children find happiness.”

An initial look at these artworks evokes a feeling of deep sadness that would make even the most stoic person unable to hold back his tears. The hall was packed with visitors of all ages and echoed with loud sobs.

“A school was destroyed after a military attack by the United States and the Zionist regime. The page, which was restored through the efforts of the Red Crescent rescue team, was restored only to the extent that it could be seen.

“The world they depict remains simple, bright and trustworthy. But the world outside is not. In any war, children are expected to be the victims; but in every war, many worlds collapse with their extinguishing,” the exhibition’s description reads.

Under the soft lighting of the gallery, these 28 drawings have a quiet weight: a steady burning candle, a waving Iranian flag, a near-perfect glimpse of the four seasons, even a mischievous little witch. Everything seen through the lens of childhood came to an abrupt halt.

It’s not just about the drawings. Another part of the hall is hung with photos of rows of graves dug for children. A video played by the center showed the school reduced to rubble, with staccato sounds as bodies were pulled from the rubble.

There is a photo of Makan Nisili whose shoes were found hanging from a tree at the school. His body was never found.

“Killing innocent children is an act of terror. Humanity is more important than anything in this world. I am here to express solidarity with Iran and my Muslim brothers during this difficult time,” said Pandit Vijay Kumar Sharma, one of those who viewed the exhibition on the last day.

“Those who call themselves superpowers will bow their heads, and these kids and their sacrifice will make that happen,” he said.

Next to the drawings, multiple whiteboards were filled with handwritten tribute messages. Some expressed anger at those responsible for the attack, others expressed solidarity with Iran, while many expressed grief and prayed for peace for the children lost.

Tara Goswami from Assam wrote: “Love can only win, yes, love will win in the end. Long live Iran. You will go down in history as heroes.”

Another said: “The love and dua of life is extinguished, as long as the sun shines you will live on and remain in our hearts forever.”

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