Between Exiles Adlan Yousif |
Between Exiles 25
Scrap Metal 245h x 67w x 14d cm Kshs 950 000 |
Artist's Statement
In my exhibition “Between Exiles”, the human form does not merely appear as rigid sculpture, but as a being suspended between two times, two places, and two identities: one left behind and another not yet named. These are not just sculptures made from scrap metal — they are wandering souls, carried on the shoulders of rust and memory. Some retain their original color, just as I found them, because the exile is not to be beautified, but revealed. You will see pale faces, bent bodies and bags clutched tightly to their legs and shoulders — as if the homeland itself refuses to leave them, even as they are forced to leave it.
Each piece here captures a fleeting — yet defining — moment: the moment one makes the most difficult decision of all: to leave. Not by choice, but by necessity. And when you carry nothing with you but memory, memory becomes a substitute for homeland, metal a substitute for the body, and expression a substitute for screaming.
“Between Exiles” is not only a physical condition, but also a psychological, emotional, and human state. It is that suspended moment when a person feels they no longer belong here, and are no longer from there. The figures in this exhibition are not heroes, nor victims in the traditional sense — they are witnesses. Their bodies move with fragility, speaking of devastation without uttering a word, screaming without sound. There are no clear maps in this work, no defined horizons. All roads begin to resemble one another, exiles multiply and the same bag is carried from one sculpture to the next — an eternal symbol of forced displacement. Their faces do not gaze at the viewer; they look beyond, searching for hope in the distance, or asking a simple question: “Is there an end to this wandering?”
Through this exhibition, I attempt to open a window into the stories of the exiled, the displaced, those who dream of returning, and those who have stopped believing in return. It is also a testimony of endurance — for even from rusted metal, a human can be reborn. They can rise, carry their pain, and continue walking. “Between Exiles” is not only an art exhibition — it is a space to stand still with oneself, with the unknown, and with the other; a space to contemplate the question that has no clear answer:
When does a homeland become a dream, and a dream become a suitcase?
Adlan Yousif - Nairobi - July 2025
In my exhibition “Between Exiles”, the human form does not merely appear as rigid sculpture, but as a being suspended between two times, two places, and two identities: one left behind and another not yet named. These are not just sculptures made from scrap metal — they are wandering souls, carried on the shoulders of rust and memory. Some retain their original color, just as I found them, because the exile is not to be beautified, but revealed. You will see pale faces, bent bodies and bags clutched tightly to their legs and shoulders — as if the homeland itself refuses to leave them, even as they are forced to leave it.
Each piece here captures a fleeting — yet defining — moment: the moment one makes the most difficult decision of all: to leave. Not by choice, but by necessity. And when you carry nothing with you but memory, memory becomes a substitute for homeland, metal a substitute for the body, and expression a substitute for screaming.
“Between Exiles” is not only a physical condition, but also a psychological, emotional, and human state. It is that suspended moment when a person feels they no longer belong here, and are no longer from there. The figures in this exhibition are not heroes, nor victims in the traditional sense — they are witnesses. Their bodies move with fragility, speaking of devastation without uttering a word, screaming without sound. There are no clear maps in this work, no defined horizons. All roads begin to resemble one another, exiles multiply and the same bag is carried from one sculpture to the next — an eternal symbol of forced displacement. Their faces do not gaze at the viewer; they look beyond, searching for hope in the distance, or asking a simple question: “Is there an end to this wandering?”
Through this exhibition, I attempt to open a window into the stories of the exiled, the displaced, those who dream of returning, and those who have stopped believing in return. It is also a testimony of endurance — for even from rusted metal, a human can be reborn. They can rise, carry their pain, and continue walking. “Between Exiles” is not only an art exhibition — it is a space to stand still with oneself, with the unknown, and with the other; a space to contemplate the question that has no clear answer:
When does a homeland become a dream, and a dream become a suitcase?
Adlan Yousif - Nairobi - July 2025
SOLD - Between Exiles 26
Scrap Metal
166h x 136w x 15d cm
Kshs 950 000
SOLD - Between Exiles 24
Scrap Metal
190h x 90w x 90d cm
Kshs 1 200 000
Scrap Metal
190h x 90w x 90d cm
Kshs 1 200 000
Between Exiles 23
Scrap Metal
129h x 28w x 22d cm
Kshs 380 000
Born in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, Sudan, in 1992. As a point of reference, I graduated from the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the Sudan University of Science and Technology in 2015.
Solo Exhibitions
Mabaki, HOF Gallery Kibera, Kibera Arts District, Nairobi, Kenya, 2024.
Rusty Souls, in collaboration with Contraband, Noir Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya, 2024.
Transformations, Gallery of the Regional French Institute of Sudan, Khartoum, 2021.
Season of Misery, Gallery of the Regional French Institute of Sudan, Khartoum, 2018.
The Value of Nothing, Rashid-Diab Centre Gallery, Khartoum, 2016.
Adlan Youssif Adam, Scrap Gallery of the Regional French Institute of Sudan, Khartoum, 2016.
Representing North Darfur State in the 21st National School Drawing Competition, El-Fasher, 2009.
Group Exhibitions
Nordic Encounters: Contemporary Artists from Sudan, The Wing, Fullersta Gård, Sweden, September 2024.
Unite with the Children of Sudan, organizé par l’Unicef, USAid, Save the Children, Nairobi, June 2024.
Affordable Art Show Kenya, Nairobi National Museum, organized by Kenya Museum Society, May 2024.
Anthropology of Detachment, Circle Art Gallery Nairobi, 2024.
Annual Friends of the Arts Art Exhibition, International School of Kenya-Nairobi, 2023.
Affordable Art Show Kenya, Nairobi National Museum, organized by Kenya Museum Society, October 2023.
Awareness at Mycetoma, French Cultural Center, Khartoum, 2018.
Animal in Sudanese Culture, Gallery of the Regional French Institute of Sudan, Khartoum, 2018.
Decade of Rashid-Diab Center, Khartoum, 2017.
Asrar Al-Kosha, Sudan’s first recycling exhibition, Khartoum, 2016.
Unity, peace and violence against women, UNAMID (United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur) exhibition, El-Fasher, 2009.
Artist Residencies
Kibera Arts District, invitational residency including artist studio, developmental career mentorship, solo show, art catalogue and film documentary, Nairobi 2024.
Rebirth: with Egyptian artist Jalal Juma, chosen by the French Section of the Sudan Antiquities Authority (section française de la direction des Antiquités du Soudan, Sfdas) and the regional French institute of Sudan to work in the city center gallery and organize the Rebirth exhibition, 2022.
Visa for creativity, International city of Arts, Paris, 2019. Invited to reside at the International city of Arts, Paris, through the Regional French institute of Sudan, as part of the Visa for creativity 2019 program. During this period, I visited many museums and studios and met many contemporary artists from France and other countries.
Permanent Collections and Awards
Permanent collection in the House of Friends Kenya Private Collection, Mabaki One, Military boot on neck of fallen victim of oppression, War, Hate, April 2024. Permanent collection in the National Museum of Kenya, Rusty Souls Series, expresses the strength and role of Sudanese women, March 2024.
Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, December 2017.
The First Creative Youth Wreath Award in Sudan, October 2017.
Publications
I contributed to the book History and Civilizations of Sudan from the Prehistory to the Present days (Histoire et civilisations du Sudan, de la Préhistoire à nos jours), published by Soleb in 2017 and officially presented at the Institut du Monde Arabe (Ima) in Paris.
My Vision
Coming from the war zones of Darfur, I was deeply influenced by scenes of oppression and enslavement. Like many who grew up in the region, I saw iron as a material often used for destruction. I chose to transform it to tell stories inspired by war-torn regions and societies.
Scrap metal in its most basic form, allows me to express this very real tragedy, by molding this hard, rusty and cold material into expressive, poetic outline that add a heightened sense of drama. The process of seeking out the unknown or introducing the unknown has remained constant in my work.
For me, the human body is important because I begin from sculptural points that allow me to transcribe the events of the day. I feel a duty to illustrate contemporary events. The time has come to speak about a freedom that still does not exist. I have lost many friends and relatives who, for political or ideological reasons, or for other reasons—crossed the borders of certain states and countries, on foot or by boat. Today, there are thousands of people fleeing deprivation, oppression and war.
They cross the Mediterranean Sea, trying to escape a very difficult life on board small boats, and drown along the way. There is no glimmer of hope—the future is closed to them. With no hope of a decent life, all border crossings closed. Embarking on a dangerous journey, knowing they may never reach the shore they dreamed of.
My body of work is more than just artistic productions, creating art is what helps me process the loss and find my way forward. I do have hope; I have a dream. Since I was seven years old, I have been the family prodigy drawing, creating simple sculptures, composing songs and playing music on Sudanese instruments. I still play as often as I can with friends, it helps me feel a part of the home I will never have again.
I hope to convey to the world my artistic message of solidarity with all societies affected by war, because art is a noble human expression, a form of struggle and a universal language that transcends political and economic borders.
Solo Exhibitions
Mabaki, HOF Gallery Kibera, Kibera Arts District, Nairobi, Kenya, 2024.
Rusty Souls, in collaboration with Contraband, Noir Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya, 2024.
Transformations, Gallery of the Regional French Institute of Sudan, Khartoum, 2021.
Season of Misery, Gallery of the Regional French Institute of Sudan, Khartoum, 2018.
The Value of Nothing, Rashid-Diab Centre Gallery, Khartoum, 2016.
Adlan Youssif Adam, Scrap Gallery of the Regional French Institute of Sudan, Khartoum, 2016.
Representing North Darfur State in the 21st National School Drawing Competition, El-Fasher, 2009.
Group Exhibitions
Nordic Encounters: Contemporary Artists from Sudan, The Wing, Fullersta Gård, Sweden, September 2024.
Unite with the Children of Sudan, organizé par l’Unicef, USAid, Save the Children, Nairobi, June 2024.
Affordable Art Show Kenya, Nairobi National Museum, organized by Kenya Museum Society, May 2024.
Anthropology of Detachment, Circle Art Gallery Nairobi, 2024.
Annual Friends of the Arts Art Exhibition, International School of Kenya-Nairobi, 2023.
Affordable Art Show Kenya, Nairobi National Museum, organized by Kenya Museum Society, October 2023.
Awareness at Mycetoma, French Cultural Center, Khartoum, 2018.
Animal in Sudanese Culture, Gallery of the Regional French Institute of Sudan, Khartoum, 2018.
Decade of Rashid-Diab Center, Khartoum, 2017.
Asrar Al-Kosha, Sudan’s first recycling exhibition, Khartoum, 2016.
Unity, peace and violence against women, UNAMID (United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur) exhibition, El-Fasher, 2009.
Artist Residencies
Kibera Arts District, invitational residency including artist studio, developmental career mentorship, solo show, art catalogue and film documentary, Nairobi 2024.
Rebirth: with Egyptian artist Jalal Juma, chosen by the French Section of the Sudan Antiquities Authority (section française de la direction des Antiquités du Soudan, Sfdas) and the regional French institute of Sudan to work in the city center gallery and organize the Rebirth exhibition, 2022.
Visa for creativity, International city of Arts, Paris, 2019. Invited to reside at the International city of Arts, Paris, through the Regional French institute of Sudan, as part of the Visa for creativity 2019 program. During this period, I visited many museums and studios and met many contemporary artists from France and other countries.
Permanent Collections and Awards
Permanent collection in the House of Friends Kenya Private Collection, Mabaki One, Military boot on neck of fallen victim of oppression, War, Hate, April 2024. Permanent collection in the National Museum of Kenya, Rusty Souls Series, expresses the strength and role of Sudanese women, March 2024.
Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, December 2017.
The First Creative Youth Wreath Award in Sudan, October 2017.
Publications
I contributed to the book History and Civilizations of Sudan from the Prehistory to the Present days (Histoire et civilisations du Sudan, de la Préhistoire à nos jours), published by Soleb in 2017 and officially presented at the Institut du Monde Arabe (Ima) in Paris.
My Vision
Coming from the war zones of Darfur, I was deeply influenced by scenes of oppression and enslavement. Like many who grew up in the region, I saw iron as a material often used for destruction. I chose to transform it to tell stories inspired by war-torn regions and societies.
Scrap metal in its most basic form, allows me to express this very real tragedy, by molding this hard, rusty and cold material into expressive, poetic outline that add a heightened sense of drama. The process of seeking out the unknown or introducing the unknown has remained constant in my work.
For me, the human body is important because I begin from sculptural points that allow me to transcribe the events of the day. I feel a duty to illustrate contemporary events. The time has come to speak about a freedom that still does not exist. I have lost many friends and relatives who, for political or ideological reasons, or for other reasons—crossed the borders of certain states and countries, on foot or by boat. Today, there are thousands of people fleeing deprivation, oppression and war.
They cross the Mediterranean Sea, trying to escape a very difficult life on board small boats, and drown along the way. There is no glimmer of hope—the future is closed to them. With no hope of a decent life, all border crossings closed. Embarking on a dangerous journey, knowing they may never reach the shore they dreamed of.
My body of work is more than just artistic productions, creating art is what helps me process the loss and find my way forward. I do have hope; I have a dream. Since I was seven years old, I have been the family prodigy drawing, creating simple sculptures, composing songs and playing music on Sudanese instruments. I still play as often as I can with friends, it helps me feel a part of the home I will never have again.
I hope to convey to the world my artistic message of solidarity with all societies affected by war, because art is a noble human expression, a form of struggle and a universal language that transcends political and economic borders.
