“A State of Chaos” on now until June 30th 2023 in the Akin Vitrine Gallery (viewable at all times from street-level) at 1747 St Clair Ave West.
About the Artist:
Enas Satir is a Sudanese multidisciplinary artist, living in Toronto. Her work includes ceramics, illustrations, video making, storytelling and photography. In 2017, Enas migrated to Canada from her home country, Sudan. “‘I might’ve found the warmest form of expression, when I found clay. I’m intrigued by the spirit the clay carries through centuries of ancestry to find its place in the routine of our daily rituals. With my pieces, I add myself and my voice to the ongoing exercise of creation, I see the clay as a canvas to draw faces, movements, attitudes and above all; tell our story. In ‘Daloka; blunt rythms’ Series, through hand-built forms and strokes of underglaze, I retell the story of my culture, impelled by the strong voices of Sudanese women ushered by the beats of the drum.
To see more of her work visit www.enassatir.com or on Instagram @enas.satir
About the Work:
Artist statement:
Khartoum, Sudan is on the brink of collapse. Hundreds of people are dead, thousands more wounded and hundreds of thousands displaced, according to figures from the United Nations. As countries rushed to evacuate their personnel, many Sudanese are stranded behind.
How did we get here: In 2019, after a long fight for freedom, the Sudanese people ousted their dictator, Omar Elbashir. A transitional government (with both civil and military representatives) was then formed to pave the way for elections to set Sudan on the path to democracy. First signs of trouble appeared when the Military generals, Abdel-Fattah Burhan; Commander of Sudanese Armed Forces, and General Hemedti, Head of Rapid Support Forces* conspired to kick the civilian Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdouk out of the shared government by putting him under forced house-arrest. And with that, annulling the agreement with the Sudanese people, and keeping all power within armed forces and away from civilians. On the 15th of April 2023, the two General; Burhan and Hemedti, once allies, now foes, turned on each other in an armed struggle of power, turning Khartoum to a war zone.
*Hemedti, Head of Rapid Support Forces is also largely responsible of the genocide in Darfur.”