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{{Short description|Sudanese visual artist, born 1934}}
{{Short description|Sudanese visual artist (born 1936)}}
{{good article}}
'''Mohammad Omer Khalil''' (born 1936) is a [[Sundanese people|Sudanese]]-born artist living in [[New York City]]. Born in a neighborhood of [[Khartoum]], Khalil later studied at the School of Fine and Applied Arts, where he taught after graduating. He moved to Italy to attend the [[Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze]] where he studied painting, [[mosaic]]s, painting [[fresco]]s, and [[etching]]. He continued his studies in mosaics at the Academy of Fine Arts. Khalil moved back to [[Sudan]] where he briefly taught. He migrated to the United States of America in 1967.
{{Infobox artist
| name = Mohammad Omer Khalil
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name = محمد عمر خليل
| native_name_lang = [[Arabic]]
| birth_name =
| birth_date = January 8, 1936
| birth_place = [[Khartoum]], [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| nationality =
| education = [[College of Fine and Applied Art (Khartoum)|School of Fine and Applied Arts]]<br>[[Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze]]<br>Academy of Fine Arts ([[Ravenna]])
| alma_mater =
| known_for = Painting, mosaics, and etching
| notable_works =
| style =
| movement =
| spouse =
| partner =
| children =
| parents =
| father =
| mother =
| relatives =
| family =
| awards =
| website = {{URL|http://mohammadkhalil.com/}}
}}
'''Mohammad Omer Khalil''' ({{Langx|ar|محمد عمر خليل}}, born January 8, 1936) is a [[Sudanese]]-born artist living in [[New York City]]. Born in a neighborhood of [[Khartoum]], Khalil later studied at the [[College of Fine and Applied Art (Khartoum)|School of Fine and Applied Arts]], where he taught after graduating. He moved to Italy to attend the [[Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze]] where he studied painting, [[mosaic]]s, painting [[fresco]]s, and [[etching]]. He continued his studies in mosaics at the [[Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze]] in [[Florence]] and the Academy of Fine Arts in [[Ravenna]]. Khalil moved back to [[Sudan]] where he briefly taught. He migrated to the United States of America in 1967.


After moving to New York City, Khalil became an expert in [[printmaking]] and later opened a studio where his clients included [[Norman Lewis (artist)|Norman Lewis]], [[Louise Nevelson]], and [[Sean Scully]]. He began teaching at [[Pratt Institute]] in 1973, the first of many schools where he has taught in the US. Khalil's works gained in popularity, especially in North American and Europe. His first solo exhibition took place in 1979. This was followed by decades of success and exhibitions in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.
After moving to New York City, Khalil became an expert in [[printmaking]] and later opened a studio where his clients included [[Norman Lewis (artist)|Norman Lewis]], [[Louise Nevelson]], and [[Sean Scully]]. He began teaching at [[Pratt Institute]] in 1973, the first of many schools where he has taught in the US. Khalil's works gained in popularity, especially in North America and Europe. His first solo exhibition took place in 1979. This was followed by decades of success and exhibitions in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.


==Biography==
==Biography==
===Early life===
===Early life===
Mohammad Omer Khalil was born in 1936 in the [[Burri Almahas]] neighborhood of [[Khartoum]], [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]] (modern-day [[Sudan]]). After graduating from Khartoum's School of Fine and Applied Arts in 1959 where he studied under Greek artist Aristomenis Angelopoulos, he taught at the school for the next four years.<ref name=encyclopedia>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOPEEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Mohammad+Omer+Khalil%22&pg=PA175 | title=Encyclopedia of Arab American Artists | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA | author=Oweis, Fayeq S | year=2007 | pages=173–175 | isbn=9780313070310}}</ref><ref name=wandlee>{{cite web | url=https://www.wlu.edu/arts/museums/visit/exhibitions/current-exhibits/mohammad-omer-khalil-musings/ | title=Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings | publisher=Washington & Lee University | accessdate=December 6, 2023}}</ref> Khalil moved to Italy to study painting and [[mosaic]]s at the [[Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze]] (ABAF) in [[Florence]]. He was able to attend the academy due to receiving a scholarship from the Sudanese Ministry of Education. At ABAF, Kahlil studied [[fresco]] painting under [[Primo Conti]]. He also took classes in [[etching]] under Rodolfo Margheri. After graduating, he studied mosaics at the Academy of Fine Arts in [[Ravenna]] in 1966.<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=wandlee/><ref name=bio>{{cite web | url=https://www.aicon.art/attachment/en/623dff28c1370d61553fab04/TextTwoColumnsWithFile/6169df4581a10a4a6f7b4275 | title=Mohammad Omer Khalil | publisher=Aicon Gallery | accessdate=December 6, 2023}}</ref>
Mohammad Omer Khalil was born on January 8, 1936, in [[Burri Almahas]], a neighborhood of [[Khartoum]], [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]] (modern-day [[Sudan]]).<ref name=birth>{{cite web | url=https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb14971234t | title=Personal record: Khalil, Mohammed Omer | publisher=Bibliothèque nationale de France | accessdate=December 6, 2024 | archive-date=May 7, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507221159/https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb14971234t | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=encyclopedia>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOPEEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Mohammad+Omer+Khalil%22&pg=PA175 | title=Encyclopedia of Arab American Artists | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA | author=Oweis, Fayeq S | year=2007 | pages=173–175 | isbn=9780313070310}}</ref> After graduating from Khartoum's [[College of Fine and Applied Art (Khartoum)|School of Fine and Applied Arts]] in 1959 where he studied under Greek artist Aristomenis Angelopoulos, he taught at the school for the next four years.<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=wandlee>{{cite web | url=https://www.wlu.edu/arts/museums/visit/exhibitions/current-exhibits/mohammad-omer-khalil-musings/ | title=Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings | publisher=Washington & Lee University | accessdate=December 6, 2023}}</ref> Khalil moved to Italy to study painting and [[mosaic]]s at the [[Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze]] (ABAF) in [[Florence]]. He was able to attend the academy due to receiving a scholarship from the [[Ministry of Education (Sudan)|Sudanese Ministry of Education]]. At ABAF, Kahlil studied [[fresco]] painting under [[Primo Conti]]. He also took classes in [[etching]] under Rodolfo Margheri. After graduating, he studied mosaics at the Academy of Fine Arts in [[Ravenna]] in 1966.<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=wandlee/><ref name=bio>{{cite web | url=https://www.aicon.art/attachment/en/623dff28c1370d61553fab04/TextTwoColumnsWithFile/6169df4581a10a4a6f7b4275 | title=Mohammad Omer Khalil | publisher=Aicon Gallery | accessdate=December 6, 2023}}</ref>


===Career===
===Career===
====1960s to 1980s====
====1960s to 1980s====
After leaving Italy, Kahlil briefly taught at the Khartoum Technical Institute in Sudan before emigrating to the United States in 1967, becoming an expert in [[printmaking]].<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=wandlee/> Khalil's works gained popularity, part of a new wave of [[African art]] that reached Europe and North America.<ref name=encyclopedia/> In 1970, he opened a printing [[atelier]], where he began printing editions for renowned artists, including [[Emma Amos (painter)|Emma Amos]], [[Romare Bearden]], [[Jim Dine]], [[Al Held]], [[Norman Lewis (artist)|Norman Lewis]], [[Louise Nevelson]], and [[Sean Scully]].<ref name=wandlee/>
After leaving Italy, Kahlil briefly taught at the [[Sudan University of Science and Technology|Khartoum Technical Institute]] in Sudan before emigrating to the United States in 1967, becoming an expert in [[printmaking]].<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=wandlee/> Khalil's works gained popularity, part of a new wave of [[African art]] that reached Europe and North America.<ref name=encyclopedia/> In 1970, he opened a printing [[atelier]], where he began printing editions for renowned artists, including [[Emma Amos (painter)|Emma Amos]], [[Romare Bearden]], [[Jim Dine]], [[Al Held]], [[Norman Lewis (artist)|Norman Lewis]], [[Louise Nevelson]], and [[Sean Scully]].<ref name=wandlee/>
[[File:Inno_by_Mohammad_Omer_Khalil.jpg|alt=|thumb|Inno (1966)]]
[[File:La_Chiesa_by_Mohammad_Omer_Khalil.jpg|alt=La Chiesa (1966)|thumb|La Chiesa (1966)]]
He taught etching at [[Pratt Institute]] starting in 1973, the first of several schools of higher learning where he has taught. Other schools include [[Columbia University]], [[New York University]], [[The New School]] and the [[Parsons School of Design]].<ref name="encyclopedia" /><ref name="wandlee" /><ref name="moma">{{cite web | url=https://post.moma.org/author/mohammad-omer-khalil/ | title=Mohammad Omer Khalil | publisher=Museum of Modern Art | accessdate=December 6, 2023 | archive-date=July 24, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724191205/https://post.moma.org/author/mohammad-omer-khalil/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In addition to teaching at these schools, Khalil spent much time teaching in [[New York City]] at the [[Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop]] and the Asilah Printmaking Workshop in [[Asilah]].<ref name="wandlee" />


Khalil's travels throughout the [[Arab world]] and his time spent in Italy and New York City have greatly influenced his works.<ref name="moma" /> It was in Morocco where his first solo exhibition took place in 1979 at the Galerie Basamat in [[Casablanca]]. This was followed by solo exhibitions at The New School in 1981, and New York City's Limited Art Editions in 1984. That same year he was part of group exhibitions at the [[El Paso Museum of Art]], [[Tacoma Art Museum]], Washington Seventh Norwegian Print Biennial, and the [[African American Museum (Dallas)|African American Museum]] in [[Dallas]].<ref name="bio" />
He taught etching at [[Pratt Institute]] starting in 1973, the first of several schools of higher learning where he has taught. Other schools include [[Columbia University]], [[New York University]], [[The New School]] and the [[Parsons School of Design]].<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=wandlee/><ref name=moma>{{cite web | url=https://post.moma.org/author/mohammad-omer-khalil/ | title=Mohammad Omer Khalil | publisher=Museum of Modern Art | accessdate=December 6, 2023 | archive-date=July 24, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724191205/https://post.moma.org/author/mohammad-omer-khalil/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In addition to teaching at these schools, Khalil spent much time teaching in [[New York City]] at the [[Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop]] and the Asilah Printmaking Workshop in [[Asilah]].<ref name=wandlee/>


In 1985, Khalil created a series of etchings called ''Homage to Miro'', inspired by [[Joan Miró]]'s distaste for conventional art.<ref name=jai>{{cite news | url=https://www.jai-pur.com/etcetera_post/mohammad-omer-khalil/ | title=Mohammad Omer Khalil Makes a Strong Statement at Aicon Gallery | work=J'AIPUR Journal | date=2019 | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | author=Miller, Autumn | archive-date=May 30, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530152035/https://www.jai-pur.com/etcetera_post/mohammad-omer-khalil/ | url-status=live }}</ref> That same year he participated in group exhibitions at the International Triennial of Original Graphic Prints in [[Grenchen]], [[Switzerland]], the [[Toledo Museum of Art]] in [[Ohio]], and the [[Columbia Museum of Art]] in [[South Carolina]]. During the rest of the decade, Khalil's work was shown in [[Iraq]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Norway]]. Solo exhibitions during this time include ones at the Alif Gallery in [[Washington, D.C.]], the Eleini Gallery in [[London]], and the [[Bronx Museum of the Arts]] in New York City.<ref name=bio/>
Khalil's travels throughout the [[Arab world]] and his time spent in Italy and New York City has greatly influenced his works.<ref name=moma/> It was in Morocco where his first solo exhibition took place in 1979 at the Galerie Basamat in [[Casablanca]]. This was followed by solo exhibitions at The New School in 1981, New York City's Limited Art Editions in 1984. That same year he was part of group exhibitions at the [[El Paso Museum of Art]], Texas Tacoma Art Museum, Washington Seventh Norwegian Print Biennial, and the [[African American Museum (Dallas)|African American Museum]] in [[Dallas]].<ref name=bio/>


In 1985, Khalil created a series of etchings called ''Homage to Miro'', inspired by [[Joan Miró]]'s distaste for conventional art.<ref name=jai>{{cite news | url=https://www.jai-pur.com/etcetera_post/mohammad-omer-khalil/ | title=Mohammad Omer Khalil Makes a Strong Statement at Aicon Gallery | work=J’AIPUR Journal | date=2019 | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | author=Miller, Autumn | archive-date=May 30, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530152035/https://www.jai-pur.com/etcetera_post/mohammad-omer-khalil/ | url-status=live }}</ref> That same year he participated in group exhibitions at the International Triennial of Original Graphic Prints in [[Grenchen]], [[Switzerland]], the [[Toledo Museum of Art]] in [[Ohio]], and the [[Columbia Museum of Art]] in [[South Carolina]]. During the rest of the decade, Khalil's work was shown in [[Israel]], [[Iraq]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Norway]]. Solo exhibitions during this time include ones at the Alif Gallery in [[Washington, D.C.]], the Eleini Gallery in [[London]], and the [[Bronx Museum of the Arts]] in New York City.<ref name=bio/>
Khalil is a fan of [[Bob Dylan]]'s music and in 1986, created a seven-part series of etchings with [[aquatint]] prints inspired by [[Bob Dylan discography|Dylan's music]].<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=wapo>{{cite news | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/307826769 | title=Innovation and Tradition From Africa | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=November 18, 1994 | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | author=Burchar, Hank | pages=N67 | id={{ProQuest|307826769}} | archive-date=May 7, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507221912/https://www.proquest.com/docview/307826769 | url-status=live }}</ref> Describing the inspiration for these pieces, Khalil said "I listened to Dylan every day...at a point in my life [when] there was an empathy with the sadness and anger in Dylan's life and music."<ref name=smithsonian>{{cite web | url=https://africa.si.edu/exhibits/brave/khalil.html | title=Tangled Up in Blue | publisher=National Museum of African Art | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | archive-date=July 28, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728115725/http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/brave/khalil.html | url-status=live }}</ref> One of these prints, ''Tangled Up in Blue'', was later purchased by the [[National Museum of African Art]] in Washington, D.C.<ref name=smithsonian/> Although the series was inspired by Dylan, they show scenes in Sudan, including one of [[Suakin]].<ref name=wapo/>

Khalil is a fan of [[Bob Dylan]]'s music and in 1986, created a seven-part series of etchings with [[aquatint]] prints inspired by [[Bob Dylan discography|Dylan's music]].<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=wapo>{{cite news | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/307826769 | title=Innovation and Tradition From Africa | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=November 18, 1994 | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | author=Burchar, Hank | pages=N67| id={{ProQuest|307826769}} }}</ref> Describing the inspiration for these pieces, Khalil said "I listened to Dylan every day...at a point in my life [when] there was an empathy with the sadness and anger in Dylan's life and music."<ref name=smithsonian>{{cite web | url=https://africa.si.edu/exhibits/brave/khalil.html | title=Tangled Up in Blue | publisher=National Museum of African Art | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | archive-date=July 28, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728115725/http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/brave/khalil.html | url-status=live }}</ref> One of these prints, ''Tangled Up in Blue'', was later purchased by the [[National Museum of African Art]] in Washington, D.C.<ref name=smithsonian/> Although the series was inspired by Dylan, they show scenes in Sudan, including one of [[Suakin]].<ref name=wapo/>


Another series in 1989-1990 was inspired by [[Petra]]. Responding to these etchings, [[Sylvia Williams]] wrote: "When asked about the caves, [Khalil] commented that he wanted to convey the mystery and ambiguity of suggesting whether one is looking into darkness or looking out into light. Kahlil often speaks of light and dark as a series of positive and negative effects that he wants to capture. It seems to sum up not only his pictorial vocabulary but also his philosophy of life."<ref name=encyclopedia/>
Another series in 1989-1990 was inspired by [[Petra]]. Responding to these etchings, [[Sylvia Williams]] wrote: "When asked about the caves, [Khalil] commented that he wanted to convey the mystery and ambiguity of suggesting whether one is looking into darkness or looking out into light. Kahlil often speaks of light and dark as a series of positive and negative effects that he wants to capture. It seems to sum up not only his pictorial vocabulary but also his philosophy of life."<ref name=encyclopedia/>


====Since the 1990s====
====1990s to present====
During the 1990s, Khalil's works were shown in group exhibitions at the [[International Monetary Fund|International Monetary Fund Center]] in Washington, D.C., the [[Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art]] in New York and the Osaka Triennial of Prints in [[Osaka]], where he won bronze prize.<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=bio/> Solo exhibitions included ones at the Alif Gallery, Galerie Teinturerie and [[Institut du Monde Arabe]] in [[Paris]], and the Al-Wasiti Gallery in [[Amman]].<ref name=bio/>
During the 1990s, Khalil's works were shown in group exhibitions at the [[International Monetary Fund|International Monetary Fund Center]] in Washington, D.C., the [[Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art]] in New York and the Osaka Triennial of Prints in [[Osaka]], where he won the bronze prize.<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=bio/> Solo exhibitions included ones at the Alif Gallery, Galerie Teinturerie and [[Institut du Monde Arabe]] in [[Paris]], and the Al-Wasiti Gallery in [[Amman]].<ref name=bio/>


A major exhibition took place in 1994-1995 at the National Museum of African Art where Khalil's works, sculptures by [[Amir Nour]], and "book art" by [[Atta Kwami]] were displayed. Describing Khalil's work in ''[[The Washington Post]]'', a reporter wrote Khalil's artistic style "equally embraces America's Bob Dylan and Jordan's ruined Petra."<ref name=wapo/> Writing in the ''Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art'', Robert Condon said Khalil and Nour's works "challenges all perceived notions of what abstraction connotes" and noted Khalil uses photographs on his etchings to give the appearance of paintings.<ref name=nka>{{cite journal | url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/422439/pdf | title=Amir Nour and Mohammad Omer Khalil | author=Condon, Robert | journal=Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art | year=1995 | issue=2 | pages=58–61}}</ref>
A major exhibition took place in 1994-1995 at the National Museum of African Art where Khalil's works, sculptures by [[Amir Nour]], and "book art" by [[Atta Kwami]] were displayed. Describing Khalil's work in ''[[The Washington Post]]'', a reporter wrote Khalil's artistic style "equally embraces America's Bob Dylan and Jordan's ruined Petra."<ref name=wapo/> Writing in the ''Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art'', Robert Condon said Khalil and Nour's works "challenges all perceived notions of what abstraction connotes" and noted Khalil uses photographs on his etchings to give the appearance of paintings.<ref name=nka>{{cite journal | url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/422439/pdf | title=Amir Nour and Mohammad Omer Khalil | author=Condon, Robert | journal=Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art | year=1995 | issue=2 | pages=58–61 | access-date=2023-12-26 | archive-date=2024-04-19 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419074546/https://muse.jhu.edu/article/422439/pdf | url-status=live }}</ref>


Inspired by the notable Arabic poet [[Adunis]], in 1999 Khalil created the ''Harlem'' series, which featured etchings of poems. He won first prize in printmaking in 2001 and 2003 at the [[National Academy of Design]], and in 2003 at the International Bienneal in [[Cairo]].<ref name=encyclopedia/> His group exhibitions during the 2000s were shown at the Skoto Gallery in New York City, the [[Institut du Monde Arabe|Institute du Monde Arabe]] in Paris, the Kunsthalle Darmstadt in [[Darmstadt]], the [[British Museum]] in London, the [[Arab American National Museum]] in [[Michigan]], the Albareh Art Gallery in [[Bahrain]], and the [[Virginia Commonwealth University - Qatar|Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar]].<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=bio/>
Inspired by the notable Arabic poet [[Adunis]], in 1999 Khalil created the ''Harlem'' series, which featured etchings of poems. He won first prize in printmaking in 2001 and 2003 at the [[National Academy of Design]], and in 2003 at the International Bienneal in [[Cairo]].<ref name=encyclopedia/> His group exhibitions during the 2000s were shown at the Skoto Gallery in New York City, the [[Institut du Monde Arabe|Institute du Monde Arabe]] in Paris, the Kunsthalle Darmstadt in [[Darmstadt]], the [[British Museum]] in London, the [[Arab American National Museum]] in [[Michigan]], the Albareh Art Gallery in [[Bahrain]], and the [[Virginia Commonwealth University - Qatar|Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar]].<ref name=encyclopedia/><ref name=bio/>


His solo exhibitions in the 2000s took place at the Rochan Gallery in [[Jeddah]], the Skoto Gallery, the Hassan II Centre for International Encounters in [[Asilah]], and the Albareh Art Gallery. This was followed by a group exhibition in 2010 at the [[Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art]] in [[Doha]], and solo exhibitions at the Albareh Art Gallery, the Meem Gallery in [[Dubai]], and the Aicon Gallery in New York City during the 2010s.<ref name=bio/>
His solo exhibitions in the 2000s took place at the Rochan Gallery in [[Jeddah]], the Skoto Gallery, the Hassan II Centre for International Encounters in [[Asilah]], and the Albareh Art Gallery. This was followed by a group exhibition in 2010 at the [[Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art]] in [[Doha]], and solo exhibitions at the Albareh Art Gallery, the Meem Gallery in [[Dubai]], and the Aicon Gallery in New York City during the 2010s.<ref name=bio/> Khalil was awarded the 2019 Nile Award for Arab Innovators by [[Egypt]]'s Supreme Council for Culture.<ref name=nile>{{cite news | url=https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/18/372563/Books/Nile-Awards-granted-to-Lenin-ElRamly,-Ahmed-Morsy,.aspx | title=Nile Awards granted to Lenin El-Ramly, Ahmed Morsy, Gouda Abdel-Khalek, Sudanese artist Omar Khalil | work=Al-Ahram | date=June 20, 2020 | accessdate=December 6, 2024 | author=Saad, Mohammed | archive-date=July 18, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718081633/https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/18/372563/Books/Nile-Awards-granted-to-Lenin-ElRamly,-Ahmed-Morsy,.aspx | url-status=live }}</ref>


In the late 2010s and early 2020s, students from [[Fisk University]] restored eleven paintings, including ''Inno'' by Khalil. The works are part of a traveling exhibition, ''African Modernism in America'', that is being held at various museums in the United States.<ref name=fisk>{{cite news | url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/arts/2023/05/24/fisk-university-students-gain-new-appreciation-for-art/70080521007/ | title=isk University traveling art exhibit brings students to African modernism | work=The Tennessean | date=May 24, 2023 | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | author=Shoup, Craig | pages=A1}}</ref> Other artists represented in the exhibition include [[Skunder Boghossian]], [[Ibrahim El-Salahi]], [[Mohamed Melehi]], [[Aimé Mpane]], [[Pilipili Mulongoy]], and [[Suzanna Ogunjami]], among others.<ref name=phillips>{{cite web | url=https://www.phillipscollection.org/press/phillips-collection-presents-african-modernism-america-1947-67 | title=The Phillips Collection Presents African Modernism in America 1947-67 | publisher=The Phillips Collection | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | archive-date=October 1, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001161123/https://www.phillipscollection.org/press/phillips-collection-presents-african-modernism-america-1947-67 | url-status=live }}</ref>
In the late 2010s and early 2020s, students from [[Fisk University]] restored eleven paintings, including ''Inno'' by Khalil. The works are part of a traveling exhibition, ''African Modernism in America'', that is being held at various museums in the United States.<ref name=fisk>{{cite news | url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/arts/2023/05/24/fisk-university-students-gain-new-appreciation-for-art/70080521007/ | title=Fisk University traveling art exhibit brings students to African modernism | work=The Tennessean | date=May 24, 2023 | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | author=Shoup, Craig | pages=A1}}</ref> Other artists represented in the exhibition include [[Skunder Boghossian]], [[Ibrahim El-Salahi]], [[Mohamed Melehi]], [[Aimé Mpane]], [[Pilipili Mulongoy]], and [[Suzanna Ogunjami]], among others.<ref name=phillips>{{cite web | url=https://www.phillipscollection.org/press/phillips-collection-presents-african-modernism-america-1947-67 | title=The Phillips Collection Presents African Modernism in America 1947-67 | publisher=The Phillips Collection | accessdate=December 7, 2023 | archive-date=October 1, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001161123/https://www.phillipscollection.org/press/phillips-collection-presents-african-modernism-america-1947-67 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Selected works==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="250px">
File:Inno by Mohammad Omer Khalil.jpg|''Inno'' (1966)
File:La Chiesa by Mohammad Omer Khalil.jpg|''La Chiesa'' (1966)
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 49: Line 78:


==External links==
==External links==
* {{official website|http://mohammadkhalil.com/}}
* [https://dafbeirut.org/en/videos/2722-return-to-print-mohammad-omer-khalil-sudanese-artists-talks-of-his-journeys- Return to Print. Mohammad Omer Khalil. Sudanese artists talks of his journeys.], video interview at the Aicon Gallery
* [https://dafbeirut.org/en/videos/2722-return-to-print-mohammad-omer-khalil-sudanese-artists-talks-of-his-journeys- Return to Print. Mohammad Omer Khalil. Sudanese artists talks of his journeys.], video interview at the Aicon Gallery

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalil, Mohammad Omer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalil, Mohammad Omer}}
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[[Category:Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze alumni]]
[[Category:Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze alumni]]
[[Category:Artists from New York City]]
[[Category:Artists from New York City]]
[[Category:College of Fine and Applied Art (Khartoum) alumni]]
[[Category:Columbia University faculty]]
[[Category:Columbia University faculty]]
[[Category:Etchers]]
[[Category:Etchers]]

Latest revision as of 17:26, 7 December 2024

Mohammad Omer Khalil
محمد عمر خليل
BornJanuary 8, 1936
EducationSchool of Fine and Applied Arts
Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze
Academy of Fine Arts (Ravenna)
Known forPainting, mosaics, and etching
Websitemohammadkhalil.com

Mohammad Omer Khalil (Arabic: محمد عمر خليل, born January 8, 1936) is a Sudanese-born artist living in New York City. Born in a neighborhood of Khartoum, Khalil later studied at the School of Fine and Applied Arts, where he taught after graduating. He moved to Italy to attend the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze where he studied painting, mosaics, painting frescos, and etching. He continued his studies in mosaics at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze in Florence and the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna. Khalil moved back to Sudan where he briefly taught. He migrated to the United States of America in 1967.

After moving to New York City, Khalil became an expert in printmaking and later opened a studio where his clients included Norman Lewis, Louise Nevelson, and Sean Scully. He began teaching at Pratt Institute in 1973, the first of many schools where he has taught in the US. Khalil's works gained in popularity, especially in North America and Europe. His first solo exhibition took place in 1979. This was followed by decades of success and exhibitions in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

Biography

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Early life

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Mohammad Omer Khalil was born on January 8, 1936, in Burri Almahas, a neighborhood of Khartoum, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (modern-day Sudan).[1][2] After graduating from Khartoum's School of Fine and Applied Arts in 1959 where he studied under Greek artist Aristomenis Angelopoulos, he taught at the school for the next four years.[2][3] Khalil moved to Italy to study painting and mosaics at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze (ABAF) in Florence. He was able to attend the academy due to receiving a scholarship from the Sudanese Ministry of Education. At ABAF, Kahlil studied fresco painting under Primo Conti. He also took classes in etching under Rodolfo Margheri. After graduating, he studied mosaics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna in 1966.[2][3][4]

Career

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1960s to 1980s

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After leaving Italy, Kahlil briefly taught at the Khartoum Technical Institute in Sudan before emigrating to the United States in 1967, becoming an expert in printmaking.[2][3] Khalil's works gained popularity, part of a new wave of African art that reached Europe and North America.[2] In 1970, he opened a printing atelier, where he began printing editions for renowned artists, including Emma Amos, Romare Bearden, Jim Dine, Al Held, Norman Lewis, Louise Nevelson, and Sean Scully.[3]

Inno (1966)
La Chiesa (1966)
La Chiesa (1966)

He taught etching at Pratt Institute starting in 1973, the first of several schools of higher learning where he has taught. Other schools include Columbia University, New York University, The New School and the Parsons School of Design.[2][3][5] In addition to teaching at these schools, Khalil spent much time teaching in New York City at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop and the Asilah Printmaking Workshop in Asilah.[3]

Khalil's travels throughout the Arab world and his time spent in Italy and New York City have greatly influenced his works.[5] It was in Morocco where his first solo exhibition took place in 1979 at the Galerie Basamat in Casablanca. This was followed by solo exhibitions at The New School in 1981, and New York City's Limited Art Editions in 1984. That same year he was part of group exhibitions at the El Paso Museum of Art, Tacoma Art Museum, Washington Seventh Norwegian Print Biennial, and the African American Museum in Dallas.[4]

In 1985, Khalil created a series of etchings called Homage to Miro, inspired by Joan Miró's distaste for conventional art.[6] That same year he participated in group exhibitions at the International Triennial of Original Graphic Prints in Grenchen, Switzerland, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, and the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina. During the rest of the decade, Khalil's work was shown in Iraq, the United Kingdom, and Norway. Solo exhibitions during this time include ones at the Alif Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Eleini Gallery in London, and the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York City.[4]

Khalil is a fan of Bob Dylan's music and in 1986, created a seven-part series of etchings with aquatint prints inspired by Dylan's music.[2][7] Describing the inspiration for these pieces, Khalil said "I listened to Dylan every day...at a point in my life [when] there was an empathy with the sadness and anger in Dylan's life and music."[8] One of these prints, Tangled Up in Blue, was later purchased by the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C.[8] Although the series was inspired by Dylan, they show scenes in Sudan, including one of Suakin.[7]

Another series in 1989-1990 was inspired by Petra. Responding to these etchings, Sylvia Williams wrote: "When asked about the caves, [Khalil] commented that he wanted to convey the mystery and ambiguity of suggesting whether one is looking into darkness or looking out into light. Kahlil often speaks of light and dark as a series of positive and negative effects that he wants to capture. It seems to sum up not only his pictorial vocabulary but also his philosophy of life."[2]

1990s to present

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During the 1990s, Khalil's works were shown in group exhibitions at the International Monetary Fund Center in Washington, D.C., the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art in New York and the Osaka Triennial of Prints in Osaka, where he won the bronze prize.[2][4] Solo exhibitions included ones at the Alif Gallery, Galerie Teinturerie and Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, and the Al-Wasiti Gallery in Amman.[4]

A major exhibition took place in 1994-1995 at the National Museum of African Art where Khalil's works, sculptures by Amir Nour, and "book art" by Atta Kwami were displayed. Describing Khalil's work in The Washington Post, a reporter wrote Khalil's artistic style "equally embraces America's Bob Dylan and Jordan's ruined Petra."[7] Writing in the Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art, Robert Condon said Khalil and Nour's works "challenges all perceived notions of what abstraction connotes" and noted Khalil uses photographs on his etchings to give the appearance of paintings.[9]

Inspired by the notable Arabic poet Adunis, in 1999 Khalil created the Harlem series, which featured etchings of poems. He won first prize in printmaking in 2001 and 2003 at the National Academy of Design, and in 2003 at the International Bienneal in Cairo.[2] His group exhibitions during the 2000s were shown at the Skoto Gallery in New York City, the Institute du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Kunsthalle Darmstadt in Darmstadt, the British Museum in London, the Arab American National Museum in Michigan, the Albareh Art Gallery in Bahrain, and the Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar.[2][4]

His solo exhibitions in the 2000s took place at the Rochan Gallery in Jeddah, the Skoto Gallery, the Hassan II Centre for International Encounters in Asilah, and the Albareh Art Gallery. This was followed by a group exhibition in 2010 at the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, and solo exhibitions at the Albareh Art Gallery, the Meem Gallery in Dubai, and the Aicon Gallery in New York City during the 2010s.[4] Khalil was awarded the 2019 Nile Award for Arab Innovators by Egypt's Supreme Council for Culture.[10]

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, students from Fisk University restored eleven paintings, including Inno by Khalil. The works are part of a traveling exhibition, African Modernism in America, that is being held at various museums in the United States.[11] Other artists represented in the exhibition include Skunder Boghossian, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Mohamed Melehi, Aimé Mpane, Pilipili Mulongoy, and Suzanna Ogunjami, among others.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Personal record: Khalil, Mohammed Omer". Bibliothèque nationale de France. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Oweis, Fayeq S (2007). Encyclopedia of Arab American Artists. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 173–175. ISBN 9780313070310.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings". Washington & Lee University. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Mohammad Omer Khalil". Aicon Gallery. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Mohammad Omer Khalil". Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Miller, Autumn (2019). "Mohammad Omer Khalil Makes a Strong Statement at Aicon Gallery". J'AIPUR Journal. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Burchar, Hank (November 18, 1994). "Innovation and Tradition From Africa". The Washington Post. pp. N67. ProQuest 307826769. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Tangled Up in Blue". National Museum of African Art. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  9. ^ Condon, Robert (1995). "Amir Nour and Mohammad Omer Khalil". Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art (2): 58–61. Archived from the original on 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  10. ^ Saad, Mohammed (June 20, 2020). "Nile Awards granted to Lenin El-Ramly, Ahmed Morsy, Gouda Abdel-Khalek, Sudanese artist Omar Khalil". Al-Ahram. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Shoup, Craig (May 24, 2023). "Fisk University traveling art exhibit brings students to African modernism". The Tennessean. pp. A1. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  12. ^ "The Phillips Collection Presents African Modernism in America 1947-67". The Phillips Collection. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
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