Honoured by King Charles III, the Sudanese born visual artist Omeima Mudawi, interviewed by Altaghyeer

Following the official ceremony of her receiving the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from King Charles III, Sudanese born, UK national, artist Omeima Osman Khalid Mudawe has been on the spotlight, not only within her country of birth, the Sudan, but globally.

When she moved to live in the UK, Omeima had carried her first country Sudan in her heart. Her work there as a crafts and visual artist was influenced by her Sudanese heritage. She was nominated for the award thanks to her significant services with and for people with special needs, namely deaf, within the arts field.

Omeima spoke to Altaghyeer about the OBE and other topics. Following are excerpts from the interview:

 Khartoum, Altaghyeer: Abdallah Berair

1/ did you expect to win the award?

When I received the news from Buckingham Palace informing me of the award, it arrived in an envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL. I wondered what it was, opened it up, saw the Buckingham Palace logo and decided that it was my husband playing a practical joke on me. I had no idea!

2/ how did you feel when you got the news that you were awarded an MBE?

I was in shock and confused – why had I been awarded it? What did it mean? I confess that I didn’t really know what an MBE was, so I had to look it up. My nomination was for services to deaf and disabled people in the Arts but I didn’t know who had nominated me for it. Eventually I discovered that the Crafts Council had nominated me for the award, in recognition of the 25 years I have spent working to be a positive role model and develop projects that bring hearing and Deaf artists together. I had conducted some work with the Craft Council, specifically looking at Access and Equality policies, and helping to ensure that crafters and artists who are also Deaf have equitable opportunities and access to the work that they do.

I kept my award confidential but on 1 January 2022, it was announced in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. I was overwhelmed by the response I received from people getting in touch to congratulate me and from various news outlets and organisations to interview me. I even received a personal letter from my local MP. The public recognition of my life’s passion and work is what has moved me the most, and from that time on I have gradually adjusted to feeling proud to be a role model for aspiring artists and craft-makers who are also Deaf. I also want to show wider society that once Deaf people have our communication needs recognised and accommodated, we can achieve anything. The sky’s the limit! I am proud to be a Muslim woman of colour who has been recognised first for her work as an artist and then for her Deafness. This is what this honour means to me – that other young artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, but who also happen to be Deaf, can see that it is possible to achieve their dreams because their work comes first and their deafness/disability second, not the other way round.

3/ did the Qatar trip and visit affect your career in any way?

The trip to Qatar happened when my daughter was 3 – it was the first time I had been away from her for so long, so it was difficult, but it really helped to open doors to new networks that have sustained my working career. The relationship I developed with the British Council led to me making connections at the Arab British Centre, and later I had my first solo exhibition with their support. This led me to meeting many other mainstream hearing artists which helped to develop my confidence and self-belief. Ultimately, because of the networks I have developed since that time, I received a runner-up prize from the Arab British Centre in 2019 (for cultural achievements), the same year I became a Clore Fellow: another life-changing, career-defining moment.

4/ what did you take from your Sudanese culture that is present in your work?

The shapes and recurring motifs that are present in my work are directly influenced by my Sudanese heritage. Shapes are influenced by things like the cowrie shells and the beads of a prayer bracelet, and the sweeping lines of Arabic calligraphy and architecture. Colour plays an important part in my work, particularly colours that represent the heat of the Sudanese landscape that I remember so well, like reds, browns and oranges. I like to contrast these with the colours of my adopted country, the UK, to reflect the integrated nature of my identity. My memories as a child in Sudan have formed the inspiration for several of my exhibitions, for example A River Runs Through where I worked with several members of the Sudanese ex-pat community in the town where I now live, Brighton and Hove, to explore what the River Nile means to them and how it influence their journeys to the UK. I carry Sudan in my heart through everything that I do.

5/ your time in Saudi, do you remember it?

I remember it as a very lonely time as there was no access to the education there – there was very little understanding of what a deaf child needed in order to access what the teacher was saying and so it was a frustrating experience. I felt like I was the only deaf child in the world as I didn’t see any other deaf children or adults. That was when the decision to move to the UK was made. You can see more here about my brother’s experience that mentions this time: https://www.bslzone.co.uk/watch/found-uk

6/ are you going to have a art exhibit in Khartoum?

I had a solo exhibition in Khartoum at the Hilton Hotel in 2002 – a long time ago! Even though it wasn’t at a proper gallery, I did manage to sell a few pieces of work but it was a challenge to organise. There was not a good understanding around the needs of an artist who was also Deaf which meant that barriers were not easily overcome. I would love to organise an event that celebrates art work made by people that happen to be disabled or deaf but without that being the main focus.

7/how do you feel when you see the revolution in Sudan on the TV?

It was shocked to see this news and obviously I was worried for my father, siblings and other family who were living in Khartoum. Later, when it became clearer what was happening, I was inspired to see women taking a lead in the demonstrations, especially the woman who stood above the crowds, whose image became famous around the world.

8/ how was the support from the family during your upbringing?

I had a lot of support at home as a child, but it reached a point where it seemed the best thing was for myself and my deaf brother Ahmed to receive our education in the UK and get other kinds of support that would help us to be independent later in life. It meant a lot of upheaval for all my family and from that time on my mother spent much of her time in the UK to be with us, separating her from Sudanese life and friends. Sadly, my MBE investiture was delayed due to covid, and my mother passed away before my ceremony was due to be held. Losing her and my father in such a short space of time meant that the day of my award investiture was emotionally charged; their absences were keenly felt. But I am grateful that, although my father passed before I received news of the award, my mother was alive for me to share the news with her. We both cried a lot that day as we recognised that this honour was only possible because of her incredible sacrifice. Because of her selflessness, I am who I am today and have achieved what I have. My mother asked me to remember my heritage as a Sudanese woman by wearing a traditional Sudanese sari on the day and I was so proud to wear the outfit that my sister had brought for me and the necklace that my mother had gifted to me when she died.