Omar Hassan Babiker is a Sudanese artist whose love for drawing led him to discover unconventional materials to paint with. His experimentation began with using coffee to color. His next color was extracted from the Sudanese Sial trees’ wood, which was then mixed with Arabic gum and water. He named this color the “tears of trees.”
“This substance extracted from the Sial tree fascinated me. I took it home, added a bit of water to it on a Canson paper, then a beautiful dark brown color began to appear, to which I added Arabic gum, and it became the distinctive color that you see now,” Babiker told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Babiker explained that on his journey in search of innovation and after experimenting with non-traditional materials, he was able to paint with what he called “tears of trees.”
He said: “Certainly, I was able to obtain different colors that led to exceptional results.”
Babiker’s fondness for “tears of trees” compelled him to draw portraits of the “martyrs of the December 2018 revolution.”
“This color’s shade makes the artist focus on the most minute details and reaches the maximum limits of creativity that gives life to a silent painting,” he said.
Babiker added: “My passion for painting and colors prompted me to study and specialize in coloring at the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Sudan. I participated in many art exhibitions.”
The Sial tree belongs to the indigo acacia family of African origin. It grows in hot areas, and is distinguished by its strong roots, and can withstand high temperatures. The tree’s stem and seeds contain 20% of the red talin substance.
