The Khartoum School, the key modernist art movement in Sudan, was co-founded in 1960 by Ahmed Shibrain alongside fellow artists Ibrahim El-Salahi (B.1930) and Kamala Ishag (B.1939), who together pioneered unique styles that reflected a confluence of African, Arab and Islamic influence, capturing the identity of the newly-formed nation of Sudan. Although the group disbanded in 1975, they created the foundations to exciting, new trends in blending linguistics, culture and abstraction - embarking on a spirit that continues to influence contemporary artists today.

In reflecting upon and producing works based on Sudanese cultural diversity, these practices came to be known as Sudanawiyya employed by many artists during that time. Shibrain embarked on a technique called hurufiyya to incorporate calligraphy into his paintings, a name which stems from the word huruf meaning Arabic letters. These appear in his compositions without commanding them but echo elements of formal meanings which lend to their mysterious and striking qualities.