Washington, D.C.ย –ย Bay Atlantic University (BAU) recently transformed its campus into a vibrant cultural hub, successfully hosting the unique pop-up exhibition,ย “The Eternal Africa: Colors and Shadows,”ย from November 18th to November 20th. This captivating event, held in collaboration with the GPI Africa Program, served as a powerful testament to BAU’s deep commitment to cultural learning, community engagement, and global understanding.ย
Anย Unforgettable Expedition Through Art and Insightย
The three-day exhibition offeredย students and the entire D.C. communityย a spectacular journey into the heart of Africa through the visionary works of renowned Sudanese artist and academic,ย Mubarak Abbas.ย
For over fifty years, Abbas has been celebrated for founding a distinctive school of black-and-white painting. The exhibitionย showcasedย his extraordinary body of work, marked by a striking contrast: monochrome complemented by vibrant colors. This powerful dialogue between color and shadow mirrors the essence of Africa itselfย –ย a conversation between memory and renewal,ย historyย and imagination.ย
Guests immersed themselves in the continentโsย people, enchanting landscapes, tribes, rituals, and cultural memory, all set to the authentic, enhancing rhythm and harmony ofย unique African music.ย
Theย Apex of Artistry: A Special Evening with the Masterย
The cultural celebration reached aย crescendo on November 20thย with a specialย “Meet the Artist”ย session.ย The evening, held from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM,ย providedย a unique opportunity toย engage directly with Mubarak Abbas.ย
The session began with a beautifulย live musical performance by Nadir Mubarak Abbas, setting a reflective and engaging stage. Guests enjoyed complimentary refreshments before diving into aย deep conversationย with the master himself.ย
During his presentation, Abbas shared profound insights into theย history of his work, the unique places that inspire him, and most compellingly,ย how experiences of war and struggle have shaped his distinctive artistic style.ย The event successfully moved “beyond the classroom,” fulfilling BAUโs broader mission to bringย world-class art and global dialogueย right to the D.C. campus.ย
Honoring a Legacy of Resilience and Innovationย
Mubarak Abbas’s prolific career hasย elevated Sudanese and African art onto the global stage. He is celebrated for hisย technical brilliance, creative versatility, and for creating timeless visual narratives of resilience and belonging.ย
His influence extends beyond the canvas; as an academic, his school of black-and-white expression continues to shape generations of artists. His contributions to art and peace were recently recognized when he was honored with theย โPeacemaker in Our Midst Awardโย by the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg inย September 2025.ย
The successย ofย “The Eternal Africa: Colors and Shadows”ย reinforcesย BAU’s role as a vital intersection of education and culture, promising more engaging global experiences for its community in the future.ย
