Salah Elmur
The Brooklyn Rail

Salah Elmur, a Sudanese artist living in Cairo, draws from his upbringing near the Sudanese Blue Nile, where he observed his parents and relatives in daily labor. His early experiences influenced his art, which led to his first solo exhibition in Khartoum. In the 1990s, after facing arrest for a critical cartoon, Elmur sought asylum in Kenya and Egypt. His latest exhibition, The Land of the Sun, explores themes of displacement, ritual, and Sudan's turbulent history, using walls as symbols of both confinement and solace.

 

Elmur’s unique "figurative abstraction" style blends realism with symbolism, drawing comparisons to Diego Rivera but with a quieter, surrealist approach. His works, such as The Road to the Fish Market and Rabbit Performers, often feature animals with spiritual significance in everyday life. The paintings reflect both the resilience and suffering of Sudan, with a warm color palette and post-colonial undertones. Elmur’s art transcends borders, focusing on continuity, memory, and the relationships that shape his people’s lives.