Intense memories

Abstracts display the various colours of Sudan

If you are looking forward to bringing Africa to your walls, you must visit the Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi. The Delma Corner there has been hosting a collection of paintings by Abdul Wahab M. Noor, a reputed Sudanese artist, based in Sharjah.

All 40 abstract paintings exhibited reflect the artist's intense memories of Sudan, its colours, moods and rhythms. Each one of the works is a journey into the lives of the Sudanese people in remote villages, tribes and forests.

Though the medium is essentially watercolour, amazing blends of dyes, inks and acrylics and the skilful use of other media like sand, thin gold and silver leaves and jute, brings in a totally new dimension to the paintings.

Most of the paintings portray groups of women dressed in very colourful clothes and jewellery, in a typical folk dance posture or absorbed in day-to-day life. The artist believes it is not necessary to capture the facial expressions to bring out essence of the mood, as this can be readily concluded in each of his paintings. The focus is entirely on the flexibility of the bodies, in tune with nature, rather than the individual facial expressions.

The use of dominant colours like red, orange, green and yellow brings in a sense of festivity, celebrating true colours of life such as freedom and liberation.

Art became a way of expression for Wahab, born in a family having long traditions in handicrafts. As a child, he was inspired and encouraged by his family members and teachers.

He sold his first painting at the age of 12. At 13, he began to illustrate books for his school. Wahab graduated from the College of Fine and Applied Arts, Khartoum and has since earned recognition through his watercolour paintings and exhibitions around the world.

Seven years with Unicef as a graphic designer back home have added a professional touch to his works. He has to his credit many individual and shared exhibitions at London, Nairobi, Damas, Amman, Khartoum, Damascus, Syria, Sharjah and Dubai.

He has represented the Sudan team at the seventh Arab Youth Festival. He was also one of the 50 international artists selected for the world's longest painting in Dubai in 1999. Wahab is a member of Dubai International Art centre and the Emirates Art Society.

Abdul Wahab wants to continue experiments with his watercolour painting, extending the medium to canvas and working on bigger sizes of paintings.

According to him, art is the link between people from different parts of the world, 'Art brings people together, binds them in a good relation and brings forth peace in harmony'.