Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings - Exhibit Guide 2023

MUSINGS

MOHAMMAD OMER KHALIL

This catalogue is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings at the Museums at Washington and Lee, September 28, 2023 – June 1, 2024.

The Museums at Washington and Lee advance learning through direct engagement with the collections and facilitate an interdisciplinary appreciation of art, history, and culture.

Museums at Washington and Lee 204 West Washington St. Lexington, VA 24450 www.wlu.edu/arts/museums Copyright © 2023 by Museums at Washington and Lee, Lexington, Virginia All essays copyright © 2023 by the authors.

All rights reserved. No part of this catalogue may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Museums at Washington and Lee. Published by Washington and Lee University Editor: Cherry Pickman Front and back cover: Petra I, 1992, Etching, soft-ground etching, aquatint, scraping, chine-collé. Museum purchase with the Art Collection Gift Fund

MUSINGS

MOHAMMAD OMER KHALIL

Contents Acknowledgment ��������������������������������������������������v About the Artist ���������������������������������������������������� 1 Impressions Homage to Basquiat 2 ����������������������������������������������2 HAILEY NEAMAN

Common Ground #V �������������������������������������������������4 ANNABEL SYMINGTON

Petra I ����������������������������������������������������������������������6 PATRICIA HOBBS

Season of Migration to the North II ����������������������������8 ELIZABETH SPEAR

Suakin ������������������������������������������������������������������10 AISLINN NIIMI

Tangled Up in Blue ��������������������������������������������������12 ANNIE ZAJICEK

Walking a Common Ground: Mohammad Omer Khalil in Asilah ���������������������������������������� 14 JENNA OMAR HAMED

Artist Biography ������������������������������������������������� 18 Exhibition Checklist �������������������������������������������� 20

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Acknowledgment The Museums at Washington and Lee is pleased to present the exhibition Musings, a remarkable body of work by artist Mohammad Omer Khalil (American, b. 1936 in Burri, Sudan), a master printmaker, painter, and influential teacher whose career spans over six decades.

Musings was curated by four undergraduate students as part of the 2023 spring term course, Seminar in Museum Studies taught by museum director Isra El-beshir. The four students, Aislinn Niimi ’24, Annabel Symington ’25, Annie Zajicek ’24, and Hailey Neaman ’25 benefited from the guidance of Mohammad Omer Khalil and the mentorship of Patricia Hobbs, senior curator of art. Special thanks to Professor Leigh Ann Beavers for giving the students an overview of printmaking.

The four young women helped lay the curatorial foundation of the exhibition through direct engagement with Khalil and artist liaison, Jenna Omar Hamed.

We are profoundly grateful to those who have helped realize this catalogue; thank you, Patricia Hobbs, senior curator of art; Elizabeth Spear, curator of academic engagement; Brian Muncy, collections assistant and photographer; Kyra Swanson, collections manager; Jenna Omar Hamed, exhibition partner; Hailey Neaman ’25, summer curatorial intern; and Cherry Pickman, editor.

We are indebted to Khalil for his patience, generosity, and contributions to modern and contemporary art that now illuminates our walls and our permanent collection. Khalil’s extraordinary gift includes two etchings titled Season of Migration to the North II (2018), Common Ground #V (1985), and a limited-edition etching by Louise Nevelson titled Essences (1977), printed by Khalil. These three gifts are an incredible addition to our collection, with significant potential for exhibitions, research, and curricular connections.

Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings is made possible by the generous support of Mrs. Jane Joel Knox, who provided funds to support the Spring Seminar in Museum Studies and, in part, by the Provost’s Office’s Spring Term Course Enhancement Fund and the Art Collection Gift Fund.

ISRA EL-BESHIR, DIRECTOR OF MUSEUMS AT WASHINGTON AND LEE

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PHOTO BY JENNA OMAR HAMED

In works such as these, the finished product portrays things I have seen sometimes deliberately and sometimes unconsciously.

About the Artist Mohammad Omer Khalil is a Sudanese American master printmaker, painter, and collage artist who has lived in New York since 1967. Khalil was born in Sudan in 1936 and attended the School of Fine and Applied Art in Khartoum. He later studied at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts, where he learned printmaking and worked mainly in black and white. His black-and-white prints explore the tonality of light and darkness, combining his classical Italian training with Sudanese influences. Khalil mastered his printmaking skills in New York, where he worked with the renowned African American printmaker Robert Blackburn. His prints combine and layer many different techniques including etching, aquatint, sugar lift, spit bite, and photo-transfer. New York also marked the beginning of Khalil’s experiments with color, though his color works most fully blossomed following his visits to Asilah, Morocco, where he led annual printmaking workshops beginning in 1978 at the Asilah Arts Festival. Khalil’s use of color also reflects the influence of the cosmopolitan environment of New York, where he was exposed to and inspired by pop culture, American music, and contemporary New York artists.

Khalil’s works often come after long periods of reflection, manifesting as musings on the pieces of art, music, or literature that inspired him.

These musings capture the feeling of his inspirations rather than acting as illustrations and are almost exclusively nonfigurative. Khalil is a selfproclaimed collector and often creates collages using found objects to commemorate the people and places he encounters on his travels; these pieces act as his mementos. In Musings, Khalil’s printmaking, painting, and collage work come together in homage to the people, places, and things that have inspired him.

HAILEY NEAMAN ’25 & AISLINN NIIMI ’24, CO-CURATORS

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Homage to Basquiat 2, 2022 Oil and collage on canvas, 68 x 70 inches Courtesy of the artist

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HAILEY NEAMAN ’25, CO-CURATOR, ART HISTORY AND RELIGION

Homage to Basquiat 2

Mohammad Omer Khalil’s Homage to Basquiat 2 immediately stood out to me among his works. Though I had little knowledge of Basquiat prior to encountering Khalil’s piece, Homage to Basquiat 2 spoke to me because of his use of color. Through my research of Basquiat I began to notice similarities in Khalil’s painting. Basquiat started as a graffiti artist, and parts of Homage to Basquiat 2 include writing reminiscent of graffiti. Basquiat’s unique style also appears in the piece, especially in the top portion of the painting, where Khalil combined paint and collage materials to create a blue Basquiat-like face. The collage elements of the piece act as a bridge between the late artist and Khalil, melding their unique styles together to create a vibrant and captivating homage.

Although the collage components of Homage to Basquiat 2 immediately caught my eye, the piece became my favorite only after interviewing Khalil and learning more about his connection to Basquiat. Though Khalil expressed interest in working with Basquiat, he never had the opportunity to because the artist tragically died at the young age of twenty-seven. Basquiat died of a heroin overdose, but Khalil attributes his death to the misrepresentation and maltreatment by the press and major art institutions. Khalil believes that the museums who promised to never show the young artist’s work contributed to his death. Many of the institutions who made that promise subsequently broke it, and Basquiat’s works now take up space on the walls of many major museums across the United States and throughout the world. Khalil’s decision to paint Homage to Basquiat 2 decades after his death in response to an exhibition curated by the late artist’s sisters perhaps speaks to Khalil’s disapproval of how major art institutions treated Basquiat.

Common Ground #V

The Common Ground series immediately drew me in because of its collage-like nature. While Khalil’s paintings are also collages, this series fascinated me because they are prints; I had previously encountered his black-and-white prints, which vastly contrast with these that are in color. I loved reading about Khalil’s journey to color from the traditional black-and-white printing practices he learned while in Italy. Color printing arose from a place of need while he was in New York when his black-and-white prints weren’t selling, but he truly developed his work with color after visiting Morocco. Khalil said that he had never seen color like he did in Asilah, and that because of the light in Morocco, the colors are more vivid than the colors in all of Europe.

Khalil has said that although the Common Ground series commemorates other artists, each work is based on the postage stamp that he included in the prints. If you look closely, Common Ground V has a Pueblo art stamp and my classmates and I in ARTH 398 were all particularly drawn to it primarily because of its bold, blue border. In fact, the color of this border inspired our selection for the blue color theme of the exhibition. We decided that this print would be an excellent addition to Washington and Lee’s permanent collection and recommended to the Museums at W&L that this be one of the pieces we acquire from Mohammad Omer Khalil.

ANNABEL SYMINGTON ’25, CO-CURATOR, ART HISTORY, CLASSICS, AND ARCHEOLOGY

Common Ground #V, 1985 Photocopy transfer, aquatint, 17 1/2 x 14 7⁄8 inches Gift from the artist

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Petra I, 1992 Etching, soft-ground etching, aquatint, scraping, chine collé, 35 1/2 x 47 1/2 inches Museum purchase with the Art Collection Gift Fund

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PATRICIA HOBBS, SENIOR CURATOR OF ART

Petra I

Petra I is the first print in a series of etchings by Mohammad Omer Khalil that reflects on his visits to the cultural heritage site in Jordan with deep history and a Greek name that translates as “rock.” My own introduction to the archaeological city was years ago when I received a postcard of Petra’s “Treasury” (in Arabic: Al-Khazneh ‫)الخزنة‬ from friends who were traveling there. Their subsequent descriptions of Petra were so riveting they propelled me to search for images and information to better understand the site. Located in mountainous terrain, the city that was literally carved out of the surrounding red sandstone had been abandoned after a devastating earthquake in the year 353 and subjected for centuries to the weathering effects of the desert. Rediscovered in 1812, it is accessible through a narrow passage called the Siq (“shaft”), which opens to the Treasury. While the history of the archaeological area was fascinating and the carved architecture exquisite, it is the visual drama of vast expanses of reddish rock pierced with deep shadows and shafts of light that captivated me then and recalled the intense personal reactions I had to the landscape of the American Southwest.

Encountering Petra I for the first time, I experienced a visceral response to the large-format print that is composed of strong monochromatic swaths of dark and light, shot through with an exclamation of red. By way of abstraction, Khalil challenges the viewer to look carefully and meditate on the image, as he himself reflected on his memories of Petra during the printmaking process.

The work is not a literal representation of the archaeological site, but the artist’s thoughtful reaction to a physical location—an evocation of landscape, of shadow pierced by light, of color. The print is layered with delicate lines, patterns, and a warren of robust and textured blacks. My own experiences with printmaking help me recognize the complexity of the etching process and the wealth of technical applications that Khalil masterfully uses. Through his layering of chine collé, etching, and aquatint, he prods effects that summon the mystery and depths of time and space in a particular location, inviting viewers into a state of profound contemplation and engagement.

Season of Migration II

In stark contrast with the freewheeling color palettes of Khalil’s collaged ruminations on Asilah, as well as his tribute to the art of Basquiat, are his large-format etchings, composed in deep, inky blacks, with only the occasional appearance of muted color. Working in this black-ink mode, which he considers “the richest medium, the richest color… in all printmaking,” Khalil often adopts the form of the diptych, or two conjoined panels with related subjects. Examples include his series inspired by Petra, the music of Bob Dylan, and Tayeb Salih’s famed postcolonial novel, Season of Migration to the North. Originally published in Arabic in 1966 as Mawsim al-Hijrah ilâ al-Shimâl, it tells the story of a young man who leaves his birthplace to seek education abroad and returns to find that nothing has changed, but at the same time, nothing is the same.

In Season of Migration to the North II, Khalil draws us in with gorgeously layered textures and bewitching organic forms. Those who are not familiar with Salih’s novel—and perhaps even some who are— might find themselves pleasurably lost in the velvety darkness and lace-like delicacy of overlaid pattern and texture without having any idea that they are witnessing the depiction of a violent death. In this composition, Khalid offers hints of imagery related to the character of Mustafa Sa’eed and his unraveling: wisps of the incense he used to entice his sexual conquests, the library that he kept as a secret shrine to Anglocentric thought, and a whirlpool in the Nile River where a key scene in the novel takes place.

Unlike that of Salih’s protagonist, Khalil’s was not a “season” of migration, but instead, a true emigration. After receiving training in Italy, he settled in the United States permanently to pursue his artwork full-time. However, this relocation does not represent a rejection of his home country, and he has returned to Sudan for visits throughout his life, stating in 2020, “Sudan is my DNA…I feel it in all my body.”

ELIZABETH SPEAR, PHD, CURATOR OF ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT

Season of Migration to the North II, 2018 Etching, soft ground, aquatint, spit bite, scraping, 29 1/2 x 44 inches Courtesy of the artist

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Suakin, 2020 Etching, soft-ground etching, aquatint, scraping, chine collé, 35 1/2 x 47 1/2 inches Courtesy of the artist

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AISLINN NIIMI ’24, CO-CURATOR, CLASSICS, JAPANESE, AND CULTURAL HERITAGE AND MUSEUM STUDIES

Suakin

When I first saw Suakin, I was attracted to the deep blue-and-green colors as well as the photographs depicting the city. Without knowing the historical context of Suakin, I was enchanted by how Khalil conveyed the feeling of the place. The most striking image in this work is the iconic El-Geyf mosque, with its white minaret illuminated by brushstrokes of light blue paint. A postage stamp from Egypt, written in both Arabic and Italian (perhaps a clever reference to Khalil’s background), labels this piece “Suakin.” The squares of fabric at the top of the painting create an energetic contrast to the rest of the materials. Suakin seems to tell a story from the top down. The bright splotches of paint and the fabric at the top evoke the wealth and prosperity of the city at its height. The images in the middle capture the architecture and rubble of the current city, and the beige monochromatic border at the bottom creates a sense of foreboding at what might portend the city’s future. The way the splotches of paint trickle down the painting evokes a sense of gradual decay.

This piece is a complex memorial. It is a love letter to the city, as well as an outcry against the neglect that led to its deterioration.

The fact that Khalil broke away from his practice of black-and-white etchings to imagine Suakin as it once was is significant. Khalil has said that color does not exist for him in a Sudanese concept, that Sudan has no color, only beige and brown. There is very little color in the current landscape of Suakin, but Khalil was so inspired by the city that he imagined the vibrant colors and rich textures in this piece. As a student of archaeology and heritage conservation, I am interested in the care and interpretation of historical sites. It is always a political matter, and this is true of Suakin. Both the Sudanese government and the British failed to care for the site, and through neglect and vandalism, it lost much of its heritage and architectural wonder. Its collapse was preventable, and Khalil considers it the most disastrous thing that happened in Sudan. Suakin was recently handed over to Turkey, which plans to restore the city. It will be interesting to see the results of that project, and I hope that I will someday visit Suakin and see for myself the city that inspired Khalil.

Tangled Up in Blue

Tangled Up in Blue was among the first pieces I saw of Mohammad Omer Khalil’s in person. After watching interviews and reading articles in which Khalil spoke of his passion for the richness of black that he achieves when creating his prints as well as his many inspirations, I knew the black-and-white pieces, especially the larger works, were what I was most excited to see with my own eyes. Even the small photo of the piece I had seen online was captivating, especially the unique silver tone incorporated into the print. My excitement held true when I laid my eyes on the intricacy and layering of various printmaking skills I could see on the paper.

The left plate’s sedate darkness juxtaposes the chaos in the right plate. I especially like Khalil’s use of a gold-leaf looking sheen in the top right section, which adds another layer of depth to the already extremely detailed portion of the work. The intricacy of the linework is not only visually stunning, but also engaging. Beyond aesthetics, the piece’s connection to Bob Dylan and a specific time in Khalil’s life also drew me in.

Khalil created this print as he was going through a divorce, and Dylan’s song, for which the work is named, spoke to him during this time. The fact that this print is a diptych represents this separation from his wife. His connection to Bob Dylan, and especially the way he turned to his music as therapy, is something I relate to and is another aspect that drew me to this work.

ANNIE ZAJICEK ’24, CO-CURATOR, GLOBAL POLITICS, GERMAN AND ART HISTORY

Tangled Up in Blue, 1986 White ground, etching, soft ground, aquatint spit bite, and chine-collé, 45 x 56 inches Courtesy of the artist

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Walking a Common Ground: Mohammad Omer Khalil in Asilah JENNA OMAR HAMED, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

When asked to describe the early years of his time living and working in Asilah, Morocco, Mohammad Omer Khalil recalled it as, “Paradise…Everything was open. Even the people. Their doors were open.”1 Asilah, situated on the northwestern coast of Africa overlooking the Atlantic ocean, is a village Khalil has spent many summers visiting “practically religiously.” The same body of water skims the easternmost coastline of the United States, where in 1967 Khalil immigrated from Sudan to live and work.

Situated approximately forty-six kilometers south of Tangier, where the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters converge, Asilah can be thought of as a pivot point for Khalil, who, in his life and work, treads the divide between East and West. It is a centering point amid the constellation of places he spent studying and working on his art: Italy, New York, Morocco, and Sudan.

His longstanding connection to Morocco can be traced back to his childhood, where he heard tales of Fez and learned of his ancestral lineage in Marrakesh. He had always longed to visit, so when invited, by way of American artist and master printmaker Robert Blackburn’s introduction, to attend an all-inclusive artist retreat in the summer of 1978 organized by two Asilah natives, Khalil jumped at the opportunity.

Mohamed Benaïssa and Mohamed Melehi 1

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Mohammad Omer Khalil, “Reflection on Asilah,” audio interview by Jenna Omar Hamed (June 18, 2023).

Image 1: Street in Asilah. Personal archive of Mohammad Omer Khalil.

Image 2: H.T.H. Crown Prince Sidi Mohammed (on the left), [Khalil on the left] visiting the Engraving Workshop during the first Asilah Moussem in 1978" (Khaznadar,1999).

started Al Mouhit Cultural Association, which housed the Asilah Cultural “Moussem.” Its name is derived from the colloquial term for the agricultural season,2 which deviates from the touristic connotations and sensibilities of a “festival.”3 The Moussem, which still runs today, was conceived as a multifaceted cultural convening site with printmaking at the core of its programming, along with mural, exhibition, and painting programs. When the idea was proposed to Khalil to join the first group of artists, it was provisioned that the Moussem be replicated in other cities across Morocco, and potentially across the world. He was among the first group of artists to participate, along with Rodolfo Abularach (Guatemala), Malika Agueznay (Casablanca), Roman Artymowsky (Poland), Robert Blackburn (United States), Farid Belkahia (Marrakesh),

Camille Billops (United States), Antonio Boça (Portugal), Salim al-Debbagh (Iraq), Nilde Carabba (Italy), Nacer Soumi (Palestine), and Shu Takahashi (Japan).4 Following the first year of the Moussem, Khalil was asked to return to run the printshop, beginning what would be a twenty-seven-year tenure. There, he deepened his work as an artist and collaborator, working alongside artists of a variety of disciplines and degrees of expertise in printmaking. In this role, he maintained the presses and cutters in Asilah’s humidity, managed the restocking and distribution of studio materials, and served as a guide for the artists in residence. He was intent on not interfering with their artistic visions; rather he provided artists technical assistance upon request.

Khalil’s time spent in the coastal town inspired him to develop a series of prints encapsulating his explorations into light and color. “Common Ground ” is a series of fifteen etchings produced between 1985 and 1995. It is titled after his experiences finding commonalities among groups of people hailing from across the world who convened on Asilah’s grounds. “Ground” may also allude to the hard and soft etching ground used in the platemaking process. He credits the sunlight for inspiring the vibrant use of color in this series, which he likens to works of orientalist painters such as Henri Matisse and Eugène Delacoix from their travels to Morocco, and Paul Klee to Tunisia; all of whom sought to depict North Africa’s captivating light.

Quite the opposite of an orientalist, Khalil considers himself local to Asilah, where he built a home, connected with the people, learned the geography, and witnessed the evolution of the village over the course of the nearly fifty years he spent visiting. Each print contains a collage

2

Chérif Khaznadar, “Al Mouhit Cultural Association and the Asilah Cultural Moussem,” in Asilah a Taste of Serenity (Paris: Éditions Plume, 1999), 38.

3

Ibid., 38, 41.

4

Mohamed Melehi and Mohammed Benaïssa, Asilah: First Cultural Moussem, July–August 1978 (Shoof: Casablanca 1979), 52-72.

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Image 3: The first group of artists to have started the Engraving Workshop, 1978.

From left to right: R. Abularach, Mohammed Melehi, Nacer Soumi, Camille Billops, Mohamed Benaissa, Salim Debbagh, Robert Blackburn, Mohammad Omer Khalil, Farid Belkhia” (Khaznadar,1999).

of found images signifying his life between coasts: stamps, packaging, envelopes, and shipping boxes, and Arabic and English lettering imposed onto vivid color and texture blockings.

Each composition uses plates with varying orientations, aspect ratios, and proportions of white and negative space. Each respective print contains layerings of distinct iconographies, visual metaphors, and cultural references conveying a visual narrative that ultimately unifies the entire series.

Asilah seems to have left the ultimate mark on Mohammad Omer Khalil, evident in his sharp use of color in his paintings, his lifelong connections to countless friends in different time zones, his passion for the printmaking process, and his frequent visits to bask in the sunlight and crisp, salted air. Asilah remains a glimmer in his eye—the northern star in a constellation of experiences as he continues to walk down dividing lines, straddling boundaries.

Jenna Omar Hamed is an artist and art worker based in Queens, New York, with roots in metro-Detroit and Jerusalem, Palestine. She assisted the Museums at W&L in liaising with Mohammad Omer Khalil. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion and Fine Art from Eastern Michigan University and a Master’s Degree in Arts Politics from New York University. Jenna’s background in tactile-driven practices and critical examination of art production has influenced her practice in documentation methods via image-making, poetics, archiving, and the book format.

Some of Jenna’s image- and text-based works appear in small press publications such as Dada Duende Record Club Journal, Faint Line Press, Everybody Press, Newtown Literary, Koukash Review, Parapraxis, Sukoon Mag, and others. Most of Jenna’s work is not easily accessible, as she produces unique and extremely limited edition publications and prints, distributed and disseminated at her discretion.

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Common Ground #XIII, 1985 Etching, aquatint, sugarlift, spit bite, 19 7⁄8 x 18 7⁄8 inches Museum purchase with the Art Collection Gift Fund

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Artist Biography EDUCATION

1956–59: Diploma in Painting, School of Fine and Applied Art, Khartoum (Sudan) 1963–66: Diploma in Fresco Painting and Mosaics, Florence Academy of Fine Arts (Italy) 1966: Diploma in Mosaics, Fine Arts Academy of Ravenna (Italy)

EMPLOYMENT

1960–63, 1966: Head of Painting, School of Fine and Applied Art, Khartoum 1970–85: Adjunct Professor of Printmaking, Pratt Institute, New York 1971–2013: Adjunct Professor of Printmaking, Parsons School of Design, New School University, New York 1978–2005: Head of Studios, International Cultural Moussem, Summer Symposia and Workshops, Asilah 2000–02: Adjunct Professor of Printmaking, Columbia University, New York

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020: Homeland Under My Nails, The Mosaic Rooms, London 2019: Mohammad Omer Khalil:You Don’t Have To Be, Aicon Gallery, New York 2018: Mohammad Omer Khalil: Andalusia, Albareh Art Gallery, Bahrain 2013: Fifty Years of Printmaking, Albareh Art Gallery, Bahrain 2010: The Battle of San Romano, Albareh Art Gallery, Bahrain 1994: Mohammad Omer Khalil: Etchings.

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

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1992: Alif Gallery, Washington, DC Gallery Teinturerie, Paris, France Institut de Monde Arabe, Paris, France El Waisiti Gallery, Amman, Jordan 1987: Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023: Of Mythic Worlds: Works from the Distant Past through the Present, The Drawing Room, New York 2022: Home, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Wisconsin 2021: Cities Under Quarantine: The Mailbox Project, Villa Romana, Italy 2017: Seed for History and Form – Tebhaga, Aicon Gallery, New York 2015: Modern Arab Masterpieces, Espace Claude Lemand, France 2011: Art Sudan (with Ibrahim Salahi), Meem Gallery, Dubai 2010: Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha 2009: Faces and Letters, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, Qatar 2008: Tawasel/Continuity: Contemporary Artists from Sudan, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, Qatar Doha Word into Art: Artists from the Modern Middle East, the British Museum, London 2007: Contemporary Print, Albareh Art Gallery, Bahrain Bahrain Art Inspired by Poetry, Darat Al Funun, Amman 2006: Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East, the British Museum, London Mohammad Omer Khalil – Pierre Chanloup New York Exhibition, Skoto Gallery, New York

2003: Broken Letter: Contemporary Art from Arab Countries, Kunsthalle Darmstadt and Kinda Foundation, Darmstadt, Germany 2002: Perspective on Contemporary Arab Art: The Kinda Foundation Collection, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris 1993: Creative Impulses/Modern Expressions: Four African Artists, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 1991: Osaka Triennial fifith International Biennial Print Exhibition, Taipei 1986: Baghdad International Festival, Iraq 1985: Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio 1984: El Paso Museum of Art, Texas Tacoma Art Museum, Washington Seventh Norwegian Print Biennial, Fredrickstad

SINCE 1970 KHALIL HAS PRODUCED PRINTS FOR THE FOLLOWING ESTEEMED ARTISTS, AMONG OTHERS

SELECTED AWARDS

2003: First Prize in Printmaking, National Academy of Design, New York 2001: First Prize in Printmaking, National Academy of Design, New York 1997: Teaching Excellence Award, New School University, New York 1993: First Prize, International Biennial of Cairo 1991: Bronze Medal, Osaka Triennial Fifth International Biennial Print Exhibition 1980: Third Prize, Third World International Exhibition, London 1979: Purchase Award, Society of American Graphic Artists, New York 1978: Louise Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant, New York

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Emma Amos (1937–2020)

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Benny Andrews (1930–2006)

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Romare Bearden (1911–2008)

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Camille Billops (1933–2019)

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Vivian E. Browne (1929–1993)

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Eldzier Cortor (1916–2015)

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Jim Dine (b. 1935)

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Al Held (1928–2005)

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Norman Lewis (1909–1979)

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Louise Nevelson (1889–1988)

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Sean Scully (b. 1945)

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Vincent D. Smith (1929–2003)

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John Woodrow Wilson (1922–2015)

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Exhibition Checklist Mohammed Omer Khalil: Musings Watson Galleries September 28, 2023 – June 1, 2024

FOYER 1. The Souk, 2011 Oil, collage on wood 40 H x 40 W inches

GALLERY 1 2. Harlem I, 1999 Etching, soft ground, sugar lift, spit bite Edition: 1/5 29 ½ H x 44 W inches Museum Purchase, 2023 3. Homage to Basquiat 2, 2022 Oil, collage on canvas 68 H x 70 W inches 4. Homage to Miró #2, 1985 Etching, photocopy transfer, aquatint, sugarlift, scraping (4 plates) Edition: 16/25 14 ¾ H x 17 ¼ W inches 5. Homage to Miró #I, 1985 Etching, photocopy transfer, aquatint, sugarlift (4 plates) Edition: 1/25 14 ¾ H x 17 ¼ W inches 6. Collage with Barbershop, 1985 Etching, photocopy transfer, aquatint (4 plates) Edition: 12/25 17 ½ H x 14 ¾ W inches 7. Homage to Louise Nevelson, 2020 Oil on canvas with assemblage 57 H x 57 W inches

GALLERY 2 8. Petra I, 1992 Etching, soft-ground etching, aquatint, scraping, chine collé Edition: 9/25 35 ½ H × 47 ½ W inches Museum Purchase, 2023 9. Common Ground #XIII, 1985 Etching, aquatint, sugarlift, spit bite (4 plates) Edition: III/V AP 19 7/8 H x 18 7/8 W inches Museum Purchase, 2023 10. Common Ground #XI, 1985 Photocopy transfer, etching, aquatint (4 plates) Edition: III/V AP 17 5⁄8 H x 14 7⁄8 W inches 11. Common Ground #V, 1985 Photocopy transfer, etching, aquatint (4 plates) Edition: 7/25 17 ½ H x 14 7⁄8 W inches Gift from the artist, 2023 12. Tangled Up in Blue, 1986 White ground, etching, soft ground, aquatint, spit bite, chine-collé Edition: 23/25 45 H x 56 W inches 13. It Ain’t Me Babe, 1986 White ground, etching, soft ground, aquatint, spit bite Edition: 25/25 56 H x 45 W inches 14. Season of Migration to the North II, 2018 Etching, soft ground, aquatint, spit bite, scraping Edition: 9/20 29 ½ H x 44 W inches 15. Suakin, 2020 Oil, collage on wood 58 ½ H x 58 ½ W inches 16. Double Tito, 1985 Photoetching, etching, aquatint (4 plates) Edition: 3/25 16 H x 14 7⁄8 W inches

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Exhibition Resource Guide

linktr.ee/mokmusings