Najjar Abdul-Musawwir

Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, born October 25, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois, is a Professor at the School of Art and Design and Africana Studies program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. An internationally acclaimed artist, he has exhibited across the U.S., Africa, Asia, and Europe, with notable residencies at the N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art and Universiti Sains Malaysia's Tuanku Fauziah Museum and Gallery. His work abstractly explores African American culture, faith, and history, often using burlap sacks as a metaphor for spiritual and human experiences.

His research focuses on abstract visual language as a medium to articulate the complexities of identity, heritage, and spirituality. He emphasizes the intersection of art and social critique, particularly in works addressing racial and cultural narratives, such as his analysis of Kara Walker's art. His practice is deeply informed by his reversion to Islam, which he describes as a return to the 'natural order of things.'

• Key exhibitions: Visions of Our 44th President traveling exhibition, Door of Return series, African Stool Symbol works
• Residencies: N'Namdi Center (Detroit), Tuanku Fauziah Museum (Malaysia)

Scientific awards include the Rickert-Ziebold Trust Award and Judge William Holmes Cook Professorship Endowment. He has mentored artists like Najee Dorsey, founder of Black Art In America, and influenced a student who later curated his work in a museum collection.