Fathi Hassan: Shifting Sands
The Sunderland Collection is proud to present the inaugural exhibition from its Art Programme, which was founded to provide contemporary artists the opportunity to engage with, and respond to, Collection items. The Programme aspires to form a bridge between past, present, and future, as well as a forum for contemplation and discussion.
Born in Cairo in 1957 to Egyptian and Nubian parents, Fathi Hassan travelled to Naples in his early 20s to study at the Naples Art School, and remained in Italy for the next 30 years. In 1988, he became one of the first artists of African heritage to be included in the Venice Art Biennale. Fathi is now based in Edinburgh. He works across photography, painting, drawing, and installation.
During his immersion in The Sunderland Collection, Fathi contemplated the global confluence of ideas and peoples, the tides of cultural encounters, and his own personal history. Moving back and forth in time, the body of work that he has produced comprises a visually arresting, richly coloured tapestry of memories, concepts, historical figures, text, and the artist's distinctive artistic expression. Historical works have also been selected, to provide context from Fathi's broader practice.
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