Sudanese visual artist Mohammed Brjass is Malmö's 11th ICORN resident

Brjass is a visual artist from Sudan who began his career in 1995. He holds a BA in Fine and Applied Arts.

Brjass ‘s art explores themes such as social and political issues, cultural heritage, and freedom of expression. His works draws inspiration from the ancient Kush civilisation of Sudan, blending these influences with contemporary artist expressions. Over three decaes, his art has been featured in numerous exhibitions in both Sudan and Egypt, where he fled in 2012.

In April 2012, Brjass organised a solo exhibition titled ‘Suffering and Freedom’ at the Al-Khatem Adlan Center for Enlightenment and Human Development in Khartoum. The exhibition addressed the 30-year rule of the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan and its consequences on the Sudanese people and their civil liberties. Following this, Brjass was detained, kidnapped, and tortured, forcing him to permanently leave Sudan in November 2012.  Prior to this incident, Brjass had been repeatedly detained and arrested for his artistic work, including for painting graffiti calling for protest.

In Egypt, Brjass continued his artistic practice in challenging conditions and faced transnational efforts to silence him and his work. He was arrested and questioned by Cairo police over graphic work created for a Sudanese pro-democracy group and was threatened and harassed by individuals linked to the Sudanese regime at the time.

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Malmö ICORN City of Refuge

Malmö has been an ICORN City of Refuge since 2010. The city welcomes a new writer, artist, or journalist annually.

Previous writers, artists, and journalists in ICORN residence in Malmö include Iranian journalist and human rights activist Parvin Ardalan, journalist and reporter Wali Arian from Afghanistan, Egyptian musician and activist Ramy Essam, Egyptian musician and activist Yasmine El Baramawy, Kurdish- Iraqi writer, journalist, and women's rights activist Hêlan Çiya, and Iraqi journalist Azhar Al-Rubaie.