Mohammed Ahmed Abdalla Abbaro (Sudanese, 1933-2016)


Pot (with narrow neck), 1986 porcelain stoneware, reptilian cracked surface62 x 43 x 43cm (24 7/16 x 16 15/16 x 16 15/16in).
|ProvenanceCollection of the artist.A private collection, UK.LiteratureS. Hassan, 'The Khartoum and Addis Connections', Seven Stories about modern art in Africa, London, 1995. Illustrated p.123.When Abbaro was born, Sudan was still a British colony. He was raised in the Nuba mountains, where his parents had a farm. Abbaro worked as a carpenter to fund his studies at the Khartoum College of Fine and Applied Arts. His potential was swiftly recognised, and a year later he won a scholarship to continue his education at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London.His ceramics are characterized by their experimental surfaces, achieved through pioneering glazing and firing techniques. The present lot dates to the artist's "igneous period" - these wild forms were inspired by volcanic earth and snakeskin.Abbaro was not only considered to be one of the most innovative ceramicists of his generation, he was also highly influential in developing the next wave of talent. He took up a teaching post at Camden Arts Centre in 1966. He acted as head of the ceramics department for two decades, before finally taking retirement in 1990.Over the course of his career, he exhibited at many of London's most prestigious venues including the Barbican, Whitechapel, the Mall Galleries and the Iraqi Cultural Centre.