For his first exhibition at OSL contemporary titled ‘Glowing Phalanges', Umar will present a new body of sculptural and textile works, each representing a bead corresponding to a prayer used in Sudanese Sufism. The sculptures are intricately repurposed and transformed from found objects and materials the artist has collected over the years, typically souvenirs that have found their way to Norway from the African and Asian continents. Each piece is accompanied by unique life-size acrylic casts of the artist’s right hand that reflect movements used during prayer.

With a critical look at European stereotypes of African culture, he dissects the constructed image of the "exotic" by physically deconstructing these objects before meticulously recreating them in a whole new form. The resulting distinct and tactile works can be construed as a statement on the political and historical, but also imbued with the artist’s own narrative and story.