Adlan Yousif

Dara Art Gallery

A contemporary sculptor based in Nairobi, Kenya, Adlan Yousif grew up in the western region of Sudan, Darfur and graduated from Sudan University of Science and Technology. His first solo exhibition was in 2016 at the French Institute in Khartoum and his work is held in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Kenya. 

His lived experiences of forced migration and the notion of belonging are reflected in his works of art. Yousif transforms discarded scrap metal into sculptures that explore displacement, exile, memory, and resilience.
The sculptures made from weathered iron and shaped into bodies, hold and relay invisible burdens, sharing stories erased by war or conflict. 

In 2023 Adlan Yousif fled Sudan following the outbreak of war. His art is a reflection of real life. For the artist, art, sculpture is a form of resistance, a tool to document and a way to express lived experience and emotions. 

Adlan Yousif's work is both delicate and strong, moving and poignant. By using scrap metal there is a sense of renewal, rebirth, a transformation, both a continuation and a new meaning to the material, that are evoked through his work, carrying experiences and stories.

Exploring the question of belonging and home, Yousif's work fits with Menart Fair's theme in 2026, questioning Where is Home?, where his work will be on display with Dara Art Gallery from October 23rd, relaying his perspective through his powerful art. 

Adlan Yousif, Between Exiles III, 2025, Welded scrap metal, 47 x 14 x 15 cm.  Dara Art Gallery. Picture courtesy of Menart Fair

Adlan Yousif, Between Exiles I, 2025, Welded scrap metal, 29 x 20 x 20 cm. Dara Art Gallery. Picture courtesy of Menart Fair

Adlan Yousif, Between Exiles IV, 2025, Welded scrap metal installation, 70 x 70 cm. Dara Art Gallery. Picture courtesy of Menart Fair