The hadra is a ritual, with embodied gatherings and invocations of communion with ancestral spirituality. The term translates from Arabic to mean a Devine presence. It is this presence that Elsadig Janka connects in his series Ahmed My Beloved.
For this photographic work, Janka accompanied pilgrims journeying to Halagat Zikr in Omdurman, Sudan. Weekly he joined the dervishes and assembly of devotees to dance, chant and experience the power of collective spiritual practice. Janka’s work glimpses into one of the largest Sufi communities in the world. Some estimates say that upto 60% of the population’s faith has been influenced by Sufi rituals with millions of Sudanese identifying with this mystical form of Islam.
The photographs are reflective of the Sufi practices that are rooted in movement. Through Janka’s techniques of blur, stop motion and multiple exposure the images capture the embodied practice of spiritual gathering and trance. Janka also focuses on the objects of ritual that are used to adorn the pilgrims’ bodies and illuminate the ritual. The artworks often enmesh the spatial context of the place, the individual subjects and the material artefacts of the experience. His techniques thus amplify the connectedness between location, body and materiality rather than to objectify the sacred.
This meeting site of Halagat Zikr is also a resting place for ancestors where dhikr or forms of remembrance are conducted. In that continuity of connection, the series is dedicated to Ahmed, a dear friend that used to join Janka in the weekly sessions. May he rest in power with the ancestors and return to the Hadra.
Medium : Digital prints on photo rag
Elsadig Janka
Al-hadra 4
120 x 80 cm, 2016
(1/10)
“Through this series, I sought to amplify the profound connectedness between the spiritual, the human form, and the material artifacts of the Hadra.” – Elsadig Janka.
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Borderlands Art is invested in presenting this work now as a way to share Janka’s artistry with the world, especially while many are only seeing the devastation of the recent civil war through the lens of media outlets. We want to show the value of creative practices as a gesture towards beauty and joy amongst the violence and turmoil. Janka and his family have been forced to leave their home in Khartoum, Sudan. He is now living and working in Kampala, Uganda.