Ibrahim el-Salahi
Life and History:
Ibrahim el-Salahi is a Sudanese painter who uses calligraphy, line, and abstraction in his work. He is considered a pioneer in both Sudanese and African art and a leader in Arab and African modernism. Born on September 5, 1930 in Omdurman, el-Salahi studied Art at the School of Design of the Gordon Memorial College. Later, he received a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art in London where he attended from 1954 to 1957, and studied renaissance art in Perugia in Italy. After his time in Europe, el-Salahi went back to Sudan to teach at the School for Applied Arts in Khartoum, where he worked until 1962. After receiving a UNESCO grant to visit the United States, he used his time in the West to visit South America. He later received a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation in 1964. Soon after his time in the U.S., el-Salahi led the Sudanese delegation during the first World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar, Senegal in 1966.
While he was well-educated and recognized in the arts, el-Salahi also delved into the world of politics for a brief time. The painter served as the assistant cultural attaché at the Sudanese Embassy in London from 1969 to 1972, and later returned to Sudan as the Director of Culture in 1972. Next, he became the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Culture and Information, a position which he held until 1975.
Artistic Style and Influence
Ibrahim el-Salahi is one of the first artists to utilize and expound upon Arabic calligraphy in his paintings. However, his work is not limited to the use of calligraphy and line. In fact, el-Salahi's work has developed through several phases:
The first period is characterized by elementary forms and lines:
![Ibrahim El-SalahiSelf-Portrait of Suffering Germany/Sudan (1961)[Source]](file:///C:/Users/Esther/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg)
“Self-Portrait of Suffering” (1961)
“The Inevitable” (1984)
-next period of work is more abstract and organic
“Femaile Tree” (1994)
“The Tree” (2003)
-next (current) period, work is characterized by his use of line and a black and white color scheme
“The Tree” (2001)
Awards and Recognition-
-1962: UNESCO Fine Arts Fellowship
-1964–65: Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship
-1971: Order of Knowledge of Democratic Republic of Sudan: gold
-1975: Order of Knowledge, Arts and Letters of Democratic Republic of Sudan: silver
-1999: Honorary Award, Sharjah International Arts Biennale
-2001: Prince Claus Fund Award
-2004: Festival International des Arts Plastiques des Mahrès, gold medal
-2005–07 & 2009: Visiting Artist, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
-2015: Honorary Doctor of Literature (DLit), University College London