Lot 50

Ahmed Abushariaa (Sudanese, born 1966)
Untitled, circa 1990 – 1994
Signed ‘Abushariaa’ (lower middle)
Acrylic, ink and pastel on paper
56 x 45 cm
KES 200,000 – 350,000
(US$) 1,550 – 2,800
Provenance: Private collection

Ahmed Abushariaa’s intricate works on paper intertwine elements of traditional and modern Nubian and Sudanese culture, Islamic faith and reflections of contemporary life. Abushariaa’s art practice is influenced by the Khartoum School – the modernist movement formed in Sudan in the 1960s which sought to develop a visual vocabulary reflecting the distinctive identity of the newly independent nation.

Abushariaa studied Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Khartoum but left Sudan in the mid-nineties and settled for some years in Nairobi. He now lives and works in Kampala, where his work has become deeply influential within the local art scene.

Abushariaa has exhibited extensively in Uganda and Kenya and has held solo exhibitions in Norway, Germany and Sudan, and group exhibitions in Canada, Denmark, Monaco and the UK. Abushariaa’s artwork is held in the art collections of The African Museum of Art in Seoul and the World Bank in Washington D.C. Recent exhibitions include ARCOlisboa, Johannesburg Biennale, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, all 2020, and Rendezvous, a group exhibition at Afriart Gallery, Kampala in 2021.