Ssali Yusuf
Most often, the figures he captures are women. Yusuf says this is because his inspiration is rooted in admiration for the vast amounts of work that the African women he grew up surrounded by are responsible for: from raising children, to fetching water, to tending the land.
In the “Making Moves Series” that is currently showing, Yusuf evokes the hustle and bustle of daily living which is both a staple of urban and rural settings, with his playful shapes and hues emphasizing the need that everyone has to reach their respective end goals. In the dizzying movement, there is harmony.
Yusuf holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Fine Arts from Makerere University. His works have been exhibited at the Makerere University art gallery, Tulifanya art gallery, AID Child Organization, and Afriart gallery in Kampala Uganda. Watatu gallery & Ramoma art gallery in Nairobi, Kenya, Evere Commune Brussels Belgium, NATTA art in Eastern Europe, Parsifal Art Exhibition in Madrid, Passdoor Gallery Sonoma California, among others. He is also well collected all over the world.
Ssali has been represented by the Almasi Art Agency and currently shows at the Agency’s space in Diani. He resides and works in San Fransisco, USA, where he migrated to in 2017.
Opposite Diani Reef
Diani Beach – Kenya