Ibrahim El-Salahi on Art Under Dictatorship, Prison Drawings, and Sudanese Cultural Development

Ibrahim El-Salahi, a Sudanese artist born in Omdurman in 1930, reflects on the experience of creating art in both authoritarian and democratic contexts. After his education at Gordon Memorial College and London's Slade, he emerged as a prominent figure in the Khartoum School. His incarceration in 1975 due to false political accusations profoundly impacted his artistic direction, resulting in works such as The Inevitable (1984–85), showcased at the Johnson Museum of Art. During his imprisonment, he utilized small sheets buried in sand for inspiration. After living in exile in Qatar and the UK, he moved to Oxford in 1998. He played a crucial role in founding Sudan's Department of Culture, despite facing significant financial challenges. His artwork is featured in MoMA, the Smithsonian, and Tate Modern, which hosted a retrospective in 2013.