El Salahi’s body of work is not bound within one style nor is it constrained by the early parameters of Sudanese aesthetic practices. His paintings combine a critical understanding of western art principles with references to Sudanese and Islamic art forms; his trademark linear style remains a preeminent unifying device expressing the intuitive merging of Islamic spirituality with critical social consciousness.
El Salahi pioneered the Khartoum School style of painting described by the artist as “the abstract symbolic representational potential of the Arabic letter, realized by distinct Sudanese handwriting and decorated by African ornamentations.” This approach of reconciling Modernism with Arab-African heritage illustrates African Modernism independent of Western inspiration.
[video]
Ouled Nail women, Algeria
(Source: fyeahnorthafricanwomen, via steeleman)
[video]
Portraits of farm workers from Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and and Zimbabwe at their place of work.The result is the forging of a new visual language that creates a sense of elegance, dignity and compassion in the face of daily toil.