Elshafei Dafalla Mohamed

Master of Fine Art, Candidate, School of Art + Design, University of Michigan

Shafei is a sculptor, photographer, painter, and installation artist. His work is noted for its passion and political connection to different world cultures.

Shafei’s journey with art began at age thirteen, when he was recognized as a videographer. At age 19, he had his first solo exhibit which included sculpture, drawing, and calligraphy. His work includes documentation of the lives and cultures of the Umbararu, a nomadic group. He also documented the life histories of more than 50 Sudanese artists through photographs and biographies for the African Studies Center at Cornell University.

In 2001,Shafei participated in a collective exhibit of Sufi and Muslim art in New York City. He also participated, with nine African diaspora artists, in a collective exhibit in Massachusetts. In 2004, he was awarded a visiting artists residency at the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies and the School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan.  In 2005, he was awarded an academic fellowship for a Master of Fine Arts at the School of Art and Design, at the University of Michigan.

Shafei has participated in more than 30 exhibits worldwide and his work is part of public and private collections in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the United States.