Ibrahim El-Salahi is a Sudanese painter recognized as the father of African and Arab Modernism. He combines painting and drawing often using motifs from African, Arab and Islamic art as well as Western references. He is a pioneer of Sudanese art and was a founding member of the movement known as Khartoum School. “I work on a new piece, and because I do not know what shape it is going to take, I add pieces.” The artist has said of his work.  Born in 1930 in Omdurman, Sudan, He completed his degree at the Slade School of Art in London and then returned to Sudan. From the late 60’s to early 70’s El-Salahi worked for the Sudanese governments’ Ministry of Culture until he was accused of anti-government activities in 1975 and was then jailed for six months. After being released, El-Salahi went into exile and now lives and works in Oxford, England. In 2013, he was the subject of a major solo retrospective at the Tate Modern, the first devoted to an African born artist. In addition to his career as a painter he is widely regarded for his numerous critical essays and is the recipient of dozens of honors and fellowships. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Metropolitan Museum in New York, The British Museum in London, The Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, and many others.