The Artist
About Dahlia
I began painting as a way of coping with family matters, relationships and social limitation, we as women, encounter on a daily basis; being a self-taught artist is a journey fuelled by passion, discipline, and continuous learning, every brushstroke or creation becomes a testament to dedication and personal growth. Born in the vibrant city of Port-Sudan by the Red Sea, and then moved to Khartoum where the dusty atmosphere influenced the colour palette of my artwork.
Painting allows me to hold space for stories that are often silenced—faces lost in protest, the quiet dignity of survival, the ongoing fight for justice.
Artist Statement
Grounded in lived experience and critical observations, my work opposes the systems—historical and ongoing—that shape collective memory, marginalization, and justice. Through a blend of visual symbolism, figures, architectural references and layered narratives, I create work that challenge the viewer to question what is normalized, what is erased, and who gets to be seen and heard. Whether addressing state violence, displacement, or gender, I aim to unsettle passive viewing and ignite dialogue.
Following the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023, thousands of individuals, including myself, were displaced. I spent over six months in Cairo before settling in Canada. During this period, I was actively involved in raising awareness about the ongoing conflict in Sudan; at the group exhibition "Ici Le Soudan" that was commissioned by Institut Français d’Egypte in response to the large number of people were displaced. Also featured in The New York Times to highlight the impact of the war on daily life and artistic practices in Sudan. In Addition to a collaboration with the Moleskine Foundation on the project “The Legendary Power of Creativity on Paper” in “Detour” the travelling exhibition that been showcased at Saatchi Gallery in London, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan and the Italian Pavilion in Osaka, Japan.