Sudanese youth revolutionize through art

Khartoon! by Khalid Albaih

Youth in Sudan are looking to art to transform their political frustration into action. They have refused to succumb to hopelessness and apathy and chosen to voice hope and positivity through their artistic messages.

For some, the artistic attempts have landed them international recognition, and even awards. Khalid Albaih, a world-renowned and award-winning Sudanese cartoonist based in Qatar recalled how he became an artist.

“Due to my father’s diplomatic status followed by exile, we lived in the Diaspora most of our lives, surrounded by my father’s politics and ‘conspiracy theories’. My father’s ‘art-less’ lifestyle prompted me to complete my BS in Interior Design with degrees in Islamic Art History and Graphic Design” he said, “Growing up, political cartoons featured on daily newspapers always intrigued me due to their simplistic nature and the risks taken to get a point across…My visual style further explains what is at the very base of the issues we face today. Simple.”

Khartoon! by Khalid Albaih

Albaih tried to publish his work in several local newspapers in Doha and in Sudan in vain. He then turned to the one place all social rejects find solace in – the internet, where he founded his project “Khartoon!”.

Khartoon! by Khalid Albaih

“Art and artists in Sudan are dying due to society’s lack of interest in the arts. The internet is where all the silenced youths turn to, and now with the internet accessible in every Sudanese household, our youth are inspired to showcase their talents online with a ‘we can do it’ attitude,” he opined.

Away from the spotlight, K. Eltinaé writes in a medium that survives more in Arabic today than it does in English. Mixing confessional poetry with a revolutionary beat, his verses address the betrayal, suffocation and rejection of the diaspora of many third culture Sudanese youths who have returned to a country that will never fully embrace them. In 2009, as a teacher at the University of Khartoum, he took the initiative to stage and direct scenes from his debut anthology “Chagrin” into a mime theatrical representation of the poems accompanied by both recorded musical selections and a live chorus line depicting the wiles of relationship-drama.

By K.Eltinae

“The future of performance art in Khartoum is extremely encouraging in many diverse mediums which have never been focused upon before in Sudan. I am of the opinion, however, that talent should not solely be showcased and catered to Open Mic performances, or any other medium which unconsciously seeks to define art exclusively as something concrete, this kind of pressure on youths to imitate what is commercially ‘popular’ rather than what is sincerely felt or experienced results in a salad of repetition and stunted creative growth, which can be avoided if young artists think outside the box,” he says.

Eltinaé’s sophomore anthology “Vertigo” is scheduled to be published later this year as a series of 21 short films which interweave with the themes of the poems in the Anthology. K.Eltinaé is also currently writing his debut novel, centered in the ideology of ‘groupthink’.

Tartar, a YouTube-based animation studio, was founded by a young talented artist, Amin Bahari, with a mission to promote Sudan, its people, its traditions and culture. Everything Tartar produces is published and shared online, scoring almost 200,000 hits to date.

“Since our first production, you could see how the online Sudanese community positively reacted to such an initiative. The feedback was highly encouraging. People extensively shared the videos on social media websites, downloaded them on their computers and phones and volunteered to help,” Bahari explained, “The internet, unlike TV, offers more interaction with your audience and brings you instant feedback that helps you improve your work and keeps you focused.”

Bahari grew up drawing comic stories and he says media plays a major role in shaping the way people think and act. “I feel sad how such a powerful tool has been poorly utilized in my community, a community that is rich in culture, people and has so much to tell the world… however, all you see when you google Sudan are pictures of wars, famine and hunger,” Bahari said.

Bahari, who is also a medical doctor hopes that as Tartar grows bigger and more people join, share and promote it, it will become less of an animation studio and more of a social movement.

For Mohamed Altoum, a young budding photographer, the camera lens is his means for capturing the beauty of a country that is rich with culture, rituals and traditions. “A picture is worth a thousand words, and a camera can document incredible moments that otherwise go unremembered. Photography is my passion, and I make sure I make use of this passion in social events and activities,” he says.

By Mohamed Altoum

By Mohamed Altoum

Another photographer, Qusai Akoud, was recently awarded the ‘Best Sudanese Photographer’ title. He was inspired to become an artist after the death of his father in late 2007. “I think people like my photos because I tend to capture natural human gestures and normal moments that pass normally without notice but when you see that moment in a photo you get a warm, deep, sweet feeling,” he says. His prediction for the future of art in Sudan is that many talented youths will emerge and showcase their exceptional visions to the world.

As Sudan continues to experience hard political and economical times, with its recent secession from the south, its youth are joining forces; determined to represent it as a beacon of art, talent and inspiration.

This article was first published here

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