South Sudan

Dark, densely worked impasto dominates the composition, crossed by vivid fragments of red, blue, green, yellow and white. Angular compartments accumulate across the centre, while elongated curves, pointed extensions and detached forms create a more open perimeter. The contrast between concentrated geometry and surrounding white space produces a sense of tension and unfinished movement. The image can be read as evoking a young nation whose many histories and communities remain distinct while forming an evolving collective structure.

South Sudan lies in north-eastern Africa, shaped by the White Nile, vast wetlands such as the Sudd, savannas and seasonal grasslands. Its peoples experienced long histories of migration, trade and political organisation before incorporation into the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Decades of conflict with governments in Khartoum preceded independence in 2011, making South Sudan the world’s newest internationally recognised sovereign state. Civil conflict after independence has deeply affected its development. The country encompasses Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk, Azande, Bari and many other communities, with numerous languages and cultural traditions. Oral history, praise poetry, song, dance, body ornament, cattle-centred traditions and ceremonial practices remain significant forms of cultural memory. Christianity and Indigenous belief systems have both shaped social life.