EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop’s retrospective of Mohammad Omer Khalil’s work, Common Ground, is now on view at the Blackburn Study Center, and is part of a multi-city exhibition.
Mohammad Omer Khalil with his work in Common Ground at Blackburn Study Center, New York (photo Leslie Jean-Bart, courtesy the artist/Blackburn Study Center)
On view through May 31, 2026
Blackburn Study Center
”In 1964, Mohammad Omer Khalil made his first etching. He was initially dubious about its chemical process, hesitantly dipping his fingertip into the acid to test its safety. But this small print, cautiously rendered during his studies in Florence, Italy, marked the start of a decades-long trajectory toward becoming a master printmaker, working across continents. “Still life (Cafe Roma)” (1964) is now on view through May 31 at the Blackburn Study Center at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, a program of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts. The Manhattan gallery serves as the anchor site of Mohammad Omer Khalil: Common Ground, a multi-city retrospective celebrating the New York-based Sudanese artist in his 90th year.
These days, Khalil is sorting through his studio, rediscovering and revitalizing plates from throughout his life. The artist, now and then, celebrates and invites surprise and experimentation. “You have to have your eyes open to whatever happens and see if you can use it or reject it,” he told Hyperallergic.
Though Common Ground is just his third solo exhibition in New York City, Khalil has been celebrated across the Arab and African art worlds, the curators said. They hope the exhibition will raise his profile to deserved new heights. “One of the sparks of our interest in wanting to tell Mohammad’s story is because there were stories that he was left out of,” Hamed said.”