Lot 54: Hussein Shariffe (Sudanese, 1934-2005) Rubaiyat

Hussein Shariffe (Sudanese, 1934-2005)
Rubaiyat signed and dated 'Shariffe/ 1996' (lower right)mixed media on canvas115 x 140cm (45 1/4 x 55 1/8in).

Shariffe's oeuvre encompasses a variety of media, including poetry and film. However, he saw himself as a painter first and foremost. Following a period at Cambridge University, he proceeded to study at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. This training would influence his creative approach for the rest of his career:"I am a painter. Each work of art is different. I paint essentially for myself. I see myself essentially as a painter, but I also come to life as a filmmaker." (Hussein Shariffe)On his return to Sudan in 1960, Shariffe took up a teaching post at the School of Fine Arts, Khartoum. The next two decades were characterised by artistic experimentation. Fellow painter, Rashid Diab, described Shariffe's visionary canvases thus:"unique, spontaneous, rich in expression and giving...we discover the truth of his poetry and poetic maneuvers in both colour and form. An original pioneer among the pioneers of abstraction in the contemporary Sudanese art world." Shariffe is celebrated as a national icon, but his democratic approach to art making has inspired painters and film makers across the world. His works have been exhibited at Gallery One in London, the São Paulo Biennial, the Sharjar Art Foundation, in addition to Jordan, Egypt and Germany.BiographyNational Portrait Gallery online catalogue: