Guest curated by Reem Aljeally for BetterShared, “Of Faces, Tales, and Lands” is a selection of contemporary artworks by 10 established Sudanese artists. The collection combines portraiture, figuration and landscapes of the artists explorations of Sudanese social structures, traditions, cultural constructions, history and present constraints.
From the questions of identity opposed by Elhassan Elmuontasir and Hazim Alhussain in their abstract portraits to the digital collages of Yasmin Elnour on women in our communities, the traditional and iconic “Karkar” usage for hair that is addressed in the illustrations of Alaa Satir and the imaginative and poetry like compositions of Rayan Elnayal and Mohamed Hamid. The collection aims to showcase a diverse realm for an outsider’s perspective to the current matters illustrated in the Sudanese art scene through the lenses of those 10 artists.
An architect and designer whose work emerges from the roots of Sudanese culture, heritage, and social contexts.
A designer who uses her architectural background in visualising and speculating on fictional spaces. She is interested in how magic realist techniques can aid in the production of ethnocentric futurisms and sci-fi in Sudan, the SWANA region and its diaspora.
A figurative painter who combines patterns, everyday objects and plants in illustrious colourful compositions.
An illustrator, character designer and concept artist whose work combines and researches the Sudanese history and culture.
A self-taught artist whose work is an abstraction of urban spaces and landscapes of Sudan illustrated through an outstanding combination of techniques.
An illustrator and designer with works that often tackle social issues, political and current affairs, as well as taking inspiration from everyday life.
A photographer who’s active in photography training. Ala’s work documents various aspects of everyday life and culture in Sudan.
A documentary photographer started his photography journey in Khartoum, Sudan, with a portrait project under the name of A Thousand Portraits From Sudan.
“My paintings are created through intuitive responses while engaging in the creation process. It’s a mixture of prior and systematic planning of work and spontaneity. It’s a mixture of consciousness and subconscious.”
Hazim Alhussain about his work.
Hazim is a visual artist who works with different mediums. His works have been exhibited in many national and international group and solo exhibitions, including the solo exhibition Us in Qvartre Gallery in Hamburg, Germany (2022) and the group exhibition of the Doha Fire Station artist residence in Doha, Qatar (2022). He’s also participated in many artist residencies and projects worldwide.
Elhassan Elmuontasir, born in 1986 in Omdurman, Sudan, is an independent artist, designer, and artist-run space manager with a background in Graphic design, technical education, International relations, and Fine art, he has co-founded ‘ Khaish Studio’ in Khartoum 2012 since then he has been a part of various of art collaborative exhibitions and artist residencies with artists curators and art centres in Khartoum and other countries including Uganda, India, Germany, Kenya, and Nigeria he was a part of Sudan moves project a Sudanese german project on art and crisis.
