Art Sudan: Ibrahim Salahi and Mohammed Omar Khalil     Dec 13, 2011 - Feb 29, 2012

Meem Gallery presents the work of Ibrahim Salahi (b. 1930, Omdurman) and Mohammed Omar Khalil (b. 1936, Buri), pioneers of modern art in Sudan and the region. Having studied in Sudan and Europe, both artists through their work have forged a technical link between Western art practices and their cultural heritage. Salahi is renowned for his early experiments with the Arabic letter, exploring its semantic roots and aesthetic qualities in his work. Using art as a way of communicating social and topical issues, Salahi highlights the significance of the artist’s role in greater society. Khalil, who has studied printmaking and fresco painting, creates collage compositions from readymade objects to examine the traditional symbolism of the Arab world, creating a dialogue between his heritage and contemporary techniques. Both artists’ work have been exhibited worldwide and is held in international collections including the British Museum, London; MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha.