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OUT OF FOCUS
RASHID DIAB -
SEE ON ARTSY
With this series of works on paper, Rashid Diab captures the beauty that persists—even in the midst of chaos. Exiled from Sudan since the outbreak of war in 2023, the artist continues to create with remarkable resilience. His fluid, luminous lines become a language of hope in the face of a collapsed world. Paper, a modest and fragile support, becomes a surface of freedom where memory, poetry, and humanity converge.
Through refined silhouettes—women draped in their traditional “toub,” walking groups —Rashid Diab evokes exile, memory and dignity. Yet sorrow never overwhelms. Instead, it is light—inner, pictorial, symbolic—that guides the eye. Vibrant colours, balanced forms, and gentle compositions invite stillness and reflection. A sense of peace that the artist chooses to offer, even in adversity.
These works on paper are acts of life. Rashid Diab does not merely depict exile’s pain—he also bears witness to the beauty of creation, the courage to persevere, and art as a refuge and space for renewal. They tell a story: that of a man who, even uprooted, continues to plant seeds of hope through painting.
To see the world anew through the softness of line, to honour memory while looking forward—this is Rashid Diab’s silent promise.
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©Talitha Puri Negri
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About Rashid Diab
A central figure of African contemporary art, Rashid Diab is a Sudanese visual artist born in 1957 in Wad-Medani, on the banks of the Blue Nile. He studied at the College of Fine and Applied Arts in Khartoum and later at the Complutense University of Madrid, where he earned a PhD focused on traditional and contemporary Sudanese art—the only one of its kind to date.
Painter, printmaker, educator and cultural pioneer, Rashid Diab has dedicated his life to promoting art in Sudan. In 1999, he founded Dara Art Gallery, the country’s first professional gallery. In 2005, he established the Rashid Diab Art Centre in Khartoum—a major artistic and educational hub that hosted over 200 exhibitions, artist residencies, forums and free training sessions for young creators.
Diab’s work is deeply rooted in symbolism, memory and poetic expression. Through his art, he addresses the human condition, women’s resilience, migration, and the landscapes of the soul. His work has been shown widely in museums, art fairs and biennials (Dakar, Madrid, Paris, New York, London…), and is part of major collections including the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute, the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation, and the Fondation Blachère.
Forced into exile by the devastating war in Sudan, Rashid Diab continues to paint from Spain—driven by his belief that art, even in times of great turmoil, can offer bridges of light and memory.
