KHARTOUM from MEMORY: The Life and Art of T S AHMED (1933-2015)

KHARTOUM from MEMOR The Life and Art of T S Ahmed

Curated by Dr Fathi Osman and generously supported by the The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC)

 Tagelsir Ahmed (1933–2015) was a pioneering Sudanese artist whose work spans painting, printmaking, illustration, graphic design and interior design. Born in Khartoum during a period of political and cultural transformation, Ahmed grew up between the influences of colonial modernity and Sudanese traditions — a duality that would shape his artistic vision throughout his life. 

After initially being accepted to study law, Ahmed chose instead to pursue art, studying architecture in Sheffield before enrolling at the Royal College of Art in 1959. There, he graduated with distinction in printmaking and gained early recognition during London’s vibrant postwar art scene alongside contemporaries such as David Hockney. Despite this promising start, Ahmed returned to Sudan and followed an independent artistic path, remaining largely outside dominant movements. 

Later, a self-imposed exile took him across East Africa and the Middle East, where memory became a central source of inspiration. His works often reconstruct scenes of Sudanese life from afar, blending personal reflection with cultural memory. 

Though relatively underrecognized in his lifetime, Ahmed produced a rich and varied body of work and is also known for designing book covers for Nobel Prize laureate playwright Wole Soyinka. His legacy endures as that of a deeply individual artist whose practice bridges cultures, places, and histories. 

This exhibition is presented with the support of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, AFAC. 

Many thanks to Azza Tagelsir Ahmed, Lina Haggar, Fathi Osman, Hassan Musa, the Royal College of Arts, London, and Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, whose loans of artworks made this exhibition possible.