The nomadic life story of a polymathic icon of African modernism
For more than a half century, Sudanese artist Ibrahim El-Salahi (born 1930) has been at the forefront of African modernism. A renowned artist, writer, critic and teacher, El-Salahi continues to refine his unique modernist vision, which combines and challenges Islamic, African and Western paradigms of modernism in the visual arts.
In this engaging memoir, El-Salahi recalls some of the most formative experiences of his career. From Khartoum to London to São Paulo to New York to Doha, and many places in between, El-Salahi shares his wide-ranging intellectual curiosity as he seeks out significant artists and interlocutors on several continents. He introduces the reader to his encounters with figures such as the African American modernists Hale Woodruff, Jacob Lawrence and members of the Spiral Group; the legendary leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad; and the Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo.