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With the fall of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir, long-stifled Sudanese graffiti artists are finally able to express their art, painting the country's revolution with the help of murals and portraits blooming on the walls. from Khartoum.
Inspired by the protracted protest movement that finally overthrew Bashir on April 11, several artists use the walls located near Army headquarters as a canvas.
The once gray walls of the complex, where thousands of protesters are still encamped, are filled with big clenched fists and signs of victory symbolizing the popular uprising that ended the Bashir regime.
Bright murals of Sudanese flags and portraits of demonstrators were also erected near the complex.
"It was unimaginable to paint a wall without permission, let alone around the army building, but this revolution has changed everything," said Lotfy Abdel Fattah, fine arts specialist.
"Even if it is annihilated one day, the drawings will leave an eternal trace in the minds of people," said 35-year-old AFP.
For years, graffiti in Sudan has remained clandestine despite censorship imposed by unarmed security guards. By OZAN KOSE (AFP / File)
For years, these works of art remained clandestine in the midst of censorship imposed by tough security guards, who viewed it as an anti-establishment act or a pure vandalism.
But the artists say everything changed on April 6, when thousands of protesters broke through the security cordon and mbaded in front of the army headquarters.
They braved flushes of tear gas to demand that the army table Bashir after three decades, while one day later, graffiti writers began publicly exposing their work to the protest site and elsewhere. Khartoum.
& # 39; Tells the story & # 39;
"People have welcomed our drawings and we thought we should start painting all the walls," said Amir Saleh, a 26-year-old graffiti artist, working on a mural outside the military complex.
"All these walls were empty and we, along with other artists, filled them with graffiti," said Saleh, who took part in the anti-Bashir rallies in December.
"We just wanted to tell the story of what's going on here."
Saleh said many conceptions reflected the protest movement's motto: "freedom, peace, justice".
"The revolution must continue … Freedom and security are at the center of the concerns," he said.
Many murals attempt to show the peaceful nature of the protest movement. By OZAN KOSE (AFP / File)
Belal Abdelrahman, 26, painted the neon orange hue of a wall on a wall. He said inspired by the call of protesters: "Just fall, that's all".
Many murals attempt to show the peaceful nature of the protest movement, including the image of a clenched fist facing two large bullets.
"It just shows that the determination of the population to shoot Bashir was much greater than the bullets with which his security had met the protesters," Abdelrahman said.
According to officials, at least 65 people have died in demonstrations of violence since December.
The artists have blazoned a wall with a rifle – a symbol of violent repression against anti-Bachir protesters – with a red flower coming out of his muzzle.
"These are peaceful demonstrations and they will remain so," Abdelrahman said.
& # 39; Dressed in bright colors & # 39;
Some artists like Abdel Fattah, who has been painting murals for over ten years, want to show the dynamic future of Sudan.
"I usually describe Sudan as a country covered with greenery and flowers to show that it has a lot to offer," he said.
Even if these artists enjoy their first freedom shot, they all complain about the lack of equipment.
Even though Sudanese graffiti artists enjoy their first freedom shot, they all complain about the lack of equipment. By OZAN KOSE (AFP / File)
"It's supposed to be done using sprays, but it's unavailable and very expensive to import, what we have is ordinary paint," Abdelrahman said.
Struck by a serious shortage of foreign exchange, the Sudanese economy has only worsened over the years.
The ongoing protest movement threatens to further derail the economy, but the protesters strongly demand that new military leaders empower civilians.
And the graffiti artists support the protesters.
"We want a more open Sudan, accepting art and promoting freedom of expression," Saleh said.
"It's only the beginning of the revolution, let's hope all Sudan will be dressed in bright colors."
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