Dahlia Abdelilah Baasher is a Sudanese artist whose figurative paintings explore the ways the feminine figure is imbued with social and cultural concerns. Intrigued by the intersection of femininity and...
Dahlia Abdelilah Baasher is a Sudanese artist whose figurative paintings explore the ways the feminine figure is imbued with social and cultural concerns. Intrigued by the intersection of femininity and fantasy, her paintings portray an otherworldly quality that is both emotive and alien. They are often conceived as a way to cope with family matters, relationships and social limitations as a woman. Social Distance features two figures bisected and rotated away from each other, creating a sense of isolation and distance despite apparent proximity. Reconstructing the dichotomous experience of social distancing, Baasher’s figures, portrayed without faces and in shades of deep blue, lack intimacy and warmth. This painting is a melancholy reminder of the difficulty in having close, familiar relationships under the current social limitations.
Baasher is a self-taught artist living in Khartoum, Sudan. In addition to her works on canvas, she also creates digital work. She is an artist assistant at Khartoum International Community School as well as a graphic designer at OVCI La Nostra Famiglia and Usratuna Sudanese Association for Children with Disabilities in Omdurman, Sudan. She has exhibited widely in Sudan, most recently in L’Effet Papillon at the French Cultural Center (2020) and in “Sudan Week” at Khartoum International Community School (2020).