Our Opening Night
Echoes of Sudan opening night was a beautiful celebration of art, music, and culture. A huge thank you to our featured artist, Tasmeen El Nayal, and all the incredible artists who shared their work. The evening came alive with powerful performances, delicious Sudanese cuisine, and a wonderful community of guests who made it truly special. We’re grateful to everyone who joined us and helped bring this night to life!
Tasneem Elnayal (b.1996) is a Sudanese-British artist based in London, UK. Elnayal’s work is a blend of Sudanese and Western motifs that are imbued with an abstract and expressionist sensibility. Through her studio practice, Elnayal explores the intersection of cultural identity and belonging. She infuses her work with an array of colours, concepts, and stories that are deeply rooted in her cultural background and upbringing. As a Sudanese woman who grew up in London, Elnayal’s art is a celebration and representation of her experiences, informed by a range of artistic influences, including figurative art, expressionism, abstract art, and the Hurufiyya movement. Elnayal employs storytelling, texture, colour, and symbolism to create visual pieces that invite viewers to contemplate and interpret their understanding of cultural identity and experiences.
Ahmed Akasha
Ahmed Akasha is a multi-media artist whose artistic expression has taken many forms, including poetry, photography, sound, film, and illustration. His creative practice revolves around themes of identity, power and paradigms. He is the founder and Art Director at D237, a design agency based in London.
Mehaira Abdelhamid
My name is Mehaira, and I am a photographer and aspiring creative director based in London. I focus on blending fashion and art to create stories that highlight underrepresented cultures and identities through my lens as a young, black, hijabi. My work aims to provide a more diverse and multifaceted view of traditional art, moving beyond conventional interpretations.
I am particularly drawn to capturing the beauty of women who are often underrepresented in the media. I strive to bring their unique stories to life through my art. My ongoing work is influenced by my own identity and heritage around me. Through my photography, I want to challenge traditional norms and celebrate beauty and diversity.
Marwa
Marwa, known professionally as travelling sudania, is a British-Sudanese photographer and visual storyteller. Her artistic journey began in 2020 during a transformative trip to Sudan, where she started capturing the intricate tapestry of Sudanese life. This experience ignited her passion for photography, leading her to explore the deep connections between food, tradition, and landscape within Sudanese culture.
Her work delves into the identities of individuals navigating dual cultures, particularly highlighting the experiences of those torn between Sudan and the UK. Her photo-documentary series, "Sudania Mia Almia," and video series "Tales of a Diaspora: Sudan," explore the identities of British-Sudanese individuals raised between the two countries, reflecting the complexities of belonging and connection to their heritage.
Her photography has been featured in various exhibitions and digital platforms, engaging audiences with the beauty and authenticity of Sudanese culture. Whether capturing the hands of a cook preparing a traditional dish or the golden glow of the desert at sunset, her work celebrates heritage, memory, and the power of storytelling through imagery.
Marwa continues to explore and document the evolving narratives of Sudanese life, aiming to bridge cultural gaps and foster understanding through her compelling visual stories.
Wafa Elhaj
‘Art of the Golden’ focuses on the golden attributes of Africa. My visual poetry celebrates the beauty of my homeland, Sudan and continent, Africa with a signature emphasis on golden skin to highlight our rich melanin. ‘The Golden’ also signifies our abundant lands, history and traditions. My work aims to divert from the misconceptions of our continent and convey stories of our profound beauty and heritage. I hope that my paintings evoke feelings of peace, warmth and welcoming as I have experienced myself in my homeland.
Currently, my paintings bring attention to contemporary issues including the ongoing tragic oppression in Sudan. This is a journey that I constantly learn through and hope to represent my people well, while raise necessary awareness.
Sali Mudawi
Born in Sudan, Sali Mudawi is a dual national of the UK and Sweden, currently living
and working in London, UK. Sali's still imagery draws inspiration from structural design,
which, in parallel, contributed to setting the foundation for her photographic identity. Her
eye for detail and dynamism has furthered her practice beyond what meets the eye by
capturing cultural heritage reminiscent of Sudan while delving into the narratives behind
the lens and subsequently connecting women within the Sudanese diaspora.
Tabideee
@tabideee
DJ, Engineer, fundraiser
Tabideee is a British-Sudanese DJ, civil engineer, and founder of the design studio Space Black. Her musical journey is deeply rooted in honoring the contributions of Black genres to electronic music, with a particular focus on Afro-Arab electronic sounds. In her sets, she seamlessly blends modern and contemporary Sudanese, Southwest Asian, North African (SWANA), and Black diasporic electronic tracks, highlighting the underrepresented influence of her heritage on the genre and its connection to rave culture. Her performances have graced stages and broadcasts in cities such as Berlin, Accra, Copenhagen, and London. ra.co
Beyond her DJ career, Tabideee is a resident at 1020 Radio and has collaborated with platforms like Balamii Radio, where she delivered a guest mix paying homage to Sudanese intergenerational party culture and its impact on her passion for techno and electronic music.
She has also been featured in events like Risen 2023, a celebration of the 'divine feminine' in Hackney Wick, London.
Through her multidisciplinary endeavors, Tabideee continues to push the boundaries of how electronic music is experienced, ensuring that the rich cultural narratives of her heritage are both acknowledged and celebrated.
Enas Saeed - Poet
Enas Saeed explores the overlapping expectations and judgements she has to negotiate as a black Muslim woman growing up in Britain today.
Eljae - Poet
Eljae is a poet, cultural curator, and community organiser, in search of the perfect hot chocolate. With an expansive creative practice, she has recently been the contributing poet for Senegal for Sudan's #DrawAlong. Eljae was also poetry cohort lead and co-curator for Moving Forward Sudan's 2024/5 fundraiser exhibition: Roots and Realities. She is currently working on her first poetry pamphlet; meanwhile, her poems can be read on Sapelo Square, in adda magazine, and The Colour of Madness amongst others.
The launch event will feature an unforgettable blend of art, music, poetry, and traditional Sudanese cuisine, brought to life by talented Sudanese and British-Sudanese creatives. Throughout March, we’ll host engaging workshops, thought-provoking film screenings, and insightful discussions, all designed to honour Sudan’s heritage, showcase its resilience, and inspire meaningful action.
What’s in store:
Join us as we come together to amplify Sudan’s story and inspire change.
What's happening in SUDAN?
Find out HERE
Money Raised by art-work sold, auction and donations, at 'Echoes of Sudan'shall go to sapa-usa.orgto help those in need in Sudan
Further action
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