Hassan Kadudu

Born on the 10 February 1971 in Zanzibar, Hassan Kadudu, one of the first classical impressionists of Zanzibar, started his artistic journey quite early in his life, in primary school.

He remembers how in standard 4 he went to town an saw a navy boat in the harbour that really captivated him. When he got home he tried to draw it from memory by using a ruler to get his pencil lines straight. Later on, when he started studying biology at school, he grew fascinated by the pictures of mammals in the modern biology book and began reproducing them with a pencil.

In secondary school he was introduced to fine arts and scored high in this subject in form 4. His passion for drawing and art led Kadudu to spend time at the Old Fort, which still remains the main centre for artists of all walks of life to meet up, learn, exhibit and trade.

At the fort he encountered a couple of Japanese volunteers that came to Zanzibar to teach the craft of batik making. They brought along with them art history books and various art supplies. His favourite book was a book of old masters, through which he discovered such legends as Ruben, Monet, Manet, Sezane, Pissarro etc. He was greatly inspired by impressionism, expressionism and surrealism.

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