Artist Profile

Ugandan painter Ssali Yusuf has only been painting professionally since 2003, yet is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the East African art world. Yusuf is captivated by the human form and the shape of color. Each of his works is a study of their interplay—this yellow slumping of the shoulders, that blue turning of the head. His bold use of vibrant color dominates the canvas, and in so doing highlights the figures that populate it. Most often, the figures he captures are women. Yusuf says this is because his inspiration is rooted in admiration for the vast amounts of work that the African women he grew up surrounded by are responsible for: from raising children, to fetching water, to tending the land.

Artists Portfolio

Gallery Watatu Ltd
Standard Street, Lonrho House, Ground Floor
P.O. Box 41855
Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel: +254(0)738501838