Gor Soudan

Drawing upon personal experience, cultural heritage and intellectual enquiry, Gor Soudan’s practice reflects a closely coupled engagement with art and philosophy. Delving into themes of place, movement and the interplay between figuration and abstraction, Soudan’s paintings reveal an exploration of colour, form and the complexities of nature. By allowing natural forces like gravity to influence his compositions, he draws parallels to animist beliefs that imbue all elements of nature with spirit. This painterly approach underwrites a formative relationship with natural processes and creates a link to broader notions of interconnectedness found in indigenous philosophies.

Soudan’s experience of the university philosophical curriculum, and its emphasis on Western thinking, demonstrated to him the marginalisation of indigenous philosophies within the academy and shaped his ongoing exploration of the role of diverse knowledge systems in contemporary art. Edouard Glissant’s writing on cultural relativism and identity has become an important touchstone for Soudan, as has Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass – which seeks to entwine indigenous and scientific knowledges to explore reciprocal relationships between humans and the natural world.

In 2014, Soudan participated in the Backers Residency at AIT in Tokyo where exposure to Japan’s visual art history and access to inks, brushes and handmade paper renewed his interest in drawing. His resonance with the appreciation of mark making led to an increased focus on detail and process: of building up to a harmonious whole by honouring every small section. Interactions with artists such as William Kentridge, Wangechi Mutu, and Theaster Gates have also been influential on Soudan’s practice. These exchanges have offered formative insights into the intersection of art and societal change, reinforcing his commitment to creating work that is both personally meaningful and socially resonant.

Gor Soudan studied Sociology and Philosophy at Egerton University, Kenya. Selected solo and group exhibitions include: Dust Sheet Embroided Snow, Project Gallery, Arundel, UK, (2019); Kikulacho: Remains, waste and metonymy III, British Institute of East Africa, Nairobi, (2018); Tokyo A La Carte, Tomio Kayama Gallery, Tokyo, (2018); Imprints, Redhill Gallery, Limuru, (2016); Join the Dots, Circle Art Gallery, (2015). In 2014 he participated in the Backers Residency, AIT in Tokyo Japan, and in 2017 the ICAF residency in Lagos, Nigeria. Soudan’s work has featured in international art fairs including 1-54 Contemporary Art Fair in London, (2022) and Cape Town Art Fair, (2018).