A Gift of Solidarity from Senegal: An Expressive Portrait of President Al-Burhan
At an exhibition celebrating Africa’s historic leaders, Senegal’s foremost artist Pierre Sonar live-painted a portrait of President Al-Burhan — transforming art into diplomacy and delivering a powerful symbol of Senegal’s steadfast solidarity with Sudan, rooted in shared struggles for unity, sovereignty, and self-determination.
The renowned Senegalese artist of 2024, Pierre Sonar, held an exhibition titled “Valuing the Role of African Leaders and Heroes” at the Noum Hotel on Saturday, 26 July 2025. The event brought together several prominent Senegalese creatives to honor Africa’s historic leaders.
The exhibition featured portraits of iconic African figures, including Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara, Leopold Sédar Senghor, and Modibo Keita. It also showcased paintings of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
Among the highlights was a live creation by Pierre Sonar — an expressive portrait of the President of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. The painting, completed before the audience, was presented as a gift to President Al-Burhan and received on his behalf by H.E. Ambassador Abdulghani Al-Naim.
In his speech, Ambassador Al-Naim expressed profound gratitude to Pierre Sonar for the invitation and the gesture, noting that the portrait symbolizes appreciation for President Al-Burhan’s leadership, the role of the arts in resistance, and Sudan’s steadfast struggle from its position in the heart of Africa. He emphasized that this message of solidarity aligns with Senegal’s principled stance — under the leadership of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, the government, and the people of Senegal — in support of Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, and peace.
