Adlan Yousif

Adlan Yousif

Latest solo exhibtion at OneOff Contemporary Art Gallery in Nairobi, Kenya “Deprivation” 28th March to April 2026.

Solo exhibition at OneOff Contemporary Art Gallery in Nairobi. “Between Exiles” 2024

A natural sculptor of deep emotions

Adlan Yousif (b. 1992, El-Fasher, Sudan) is a contemporary sculptor based in Nairobi, Kenya. He grew up in the western region of Sudan, Darfur. There is where the great majority of his inspiration comes from. His contact with the different peoples of the region and visual intuition allowed him to generate a solid repertoir of imagery and a deep knowledge of both the human condition and anatomy. A graduate of Sudan University of Science and Technology, he transforms discarded scrap metal into sculptures exploring displacement, exile, memory, and resilience.

Adlan started exhibiting his work in 2011 with his first solo exhibition at the French Institute in Khartoum in 2016. From then it was clear to his peers that he had what it takes to create serious bodies of work. More exhibitions followed in the coming years as he finished honing his technique. His practice reflects lived experiences of forced migration and the search for belonging. Through weathered iron, Yousif gives form to bodies carrying invisible burdens, preserving stories often erased by conflict. His work is held in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Kenya and has been exhibited internationally. For Yousif, sculpture becomes both witness and resistance, asking where home truly begins. In 2023 he fled Sudan following the outbreak of war and so his art ever more collides with real life.