Rashid Diab

Born in Wad Madani, Diab is a distinguished modern painter, printmaker, and art historian. After earning his BA (Honours) in Painting from Khartoum's College of Fine and Applied Arts in 1978, he continued his studies in Spain via a scholarship - completing MFAs in painting and etching and earning a PhD in 1991 from the Complutense University of Madrid with a thesis on the Traditional and Contemporary of Sudanese painting. He was also a professor at the same university until returning to Khartoum in 1999. This would make him of the few painters of Sudanese origin with an established international career to come back home and dedicate his time and success to the people. For this he is largely acknowledge as an icon in Sudan, with celebrity status. 

There, he founded Dara Art Gallery, the first professional art gallery of its kind in an effort to pay homage to the living legends of Sudanese art and for future generations. In 2005 the Rashid Diab Arts Centre was created to nurture Sudanese creativity and social development. It consisted of 5 villas with art galleries and residential spaces. Also 2 gardens and a theatre where weekly forums (up to 600 in total) were held covering a plethora of social issues and more. All the while Rashid Diab has been exhibiting worldwide in national museums and libraries, art centres, art fairs and more. His vibrant, abstract works, and landscapes are forged from rich African and Arab influences. Usually depicting Sudanese women going through and existentially draining condition of migration. He hopes these works can help the world see their story and strength, the silence regarding their human condition, just like Sudan's, completely and utterly forgotten, ontologically smashed. For his dedication he was awarded the Order of Civil Merit Knight class by previous King of Spain in 2013. 

In April 2023 he had to flee Sudan due to the ongoing war and is now once again living in Madrid after 25 years trying to build, promote and develop the artistic scene of Sudan.