Reem Aljeally: Painting the Strength and Stories of Sudanese Women

Culture

12 Nov

Who is Reem Aljeally?

Reem Aljeally is a Sudanese artist, architect, and curator who turns everyday moments into powerful stories. Her work focuses on women, memory, and identity; showing their strength, resilience, and humanity in ways that feel personal and relatable. From Khartoum to Cairo, she’s not just creating art, she’s shaping how Sudanese stories are seen and shared.

Reem started out as an architect, but she quickly realized she wanted to explore emotions, stories, and people through painting and installations. Her work often features soft, simple symbols, like cats, plants, or textiles that carry meaning about comfort, hope, and resilience. Every painting feels like a little story, gentle but impossible to ignore.

In 2019, during the Sudanese protests, Reem painted murals of women in white toub leading crowds through the streets. These pieces weren’t just art, they were statements! They celebrated women as leaders, dreamers, and fighters. Since then, her work has been shown internationally, from Europe to Africa, helping share Sudanese stories with the world.

Reem isn’t just about her own art, she’s building platforms for other artists too. She created **The Muse Multi Studios** in Khartoum, a space for training, shows, and mentorship. **Bait Alnisa (House of Women)** supports female artists in Sudan and abroad. And **The Sudan Art Archive** preserves decades of Sudanese art so it’s never forgotten. Through these projects, she’s proving that art can be personal, but also powerful for the community.

Her work is about women, identity, memory, and belonging. It’s soft and relatable, but it carries weight. You can feel her architectural training in how she structures her compositions, but it’s always full of emotion. Her paintings, murals, and projects give a stage to voices that are often overlooked, turning them into stories everyone can see and feel!

“Through her art, Reem tells stories that need to be heard; about women, culture, and resilience.”

Now based in Cairo, Reem continues to paint, curate, and mentor. Her work reminds us that art isn’t just decoration, it’s a way to preserve stories, highlight voices, and inspire change. With every mural, exhibition, and platform she creates, she’s making sure Sudanese women’s stories are seen, heard, and celebrated; and that they stay alive in the world.