Review /Africa / Sudan October - December ‘20
CHRISTINE XUEREB SEIDU
Identity in Sudanese Art and ‘the Many Mothers of Sudan’s Revolution’
T
hree decades under the dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir, which saw no economic growth, led to spontaneous protests and, eventually, to a large and peaceful uprising resulting in al-Bashir’s removal from power in April 2019. The transition was riotous and saw hundreds killed, injured or raped. Artists, who were suppressed under Bashir’s rule leaving them jailed, banned or exiled, were now holding power and at the heart of this uprising – with music concerts, painting of murals throughout Khartoum, and more, calling for a much needed change and paying homage to the victims of the June 3rd crackdown. Through visual art in activism, today’s generation of artists are upholding a legacy of standing up to military regimes, similarly to the 1964 and 1985 uprisings. One such artist is Alaa Satir, who became the face
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of the resistance by empowering women and highlighting their role in the revolution, especially since women have long been part of the country’s struggle for peace and justice. Gallery manager and curator at Afriart Gallery in Uganda, Michelle Mlati, told me that the “emergence of activism is largely present in iconic female figures, such as the Kandake (the Nubian Queen) of Meroe, who employed a military strategy to prevent Alexander the Great from conquering Nubian lands in 332 B.C.” For artists like Alaa Satir, Galal Yousif, Assil Diab and many others, taking to the street and painting was a way to break away from the fear, document the change and remind whoever governs next what they are fighting for. Many do not believe the revolution should end with just the instalment of a civilian government, but measures like art being integrated into the basic education system, for example.
Abushariaa Ahmed, Sudan 06-19 #1, 2019 (Ink on paper, 58 x 70 cm). Photo: Courtesy of Afriart Gallery
SUDAN
