Congratulations to Khalid Kodi, Professor of the Practice in Art+Design, on his new book From Wound to Foundation, published in Egypt by Dar El Mosawarat Press.

Khalid writes, “Over the summer, I published my book, “From Wound to Foundation,” in Cairo, Egypt —a collection of essays in Arabic that examines contemporary political and intellectual transformations in Sudan while placing them in dialogue with broader global human experiences. From Wound to Foundation is an ambitious intellectual project that confronts urgent questions of history, politics, identity, and justice, moving fluidly between the local and the global. The book sheds light on enduring struggles for freedom and equality, with particular attention to the American experience: from the Founding Era and the drafting of the U.S. Constitution (1787), through the Civil War (1861–1865), the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, the Women’s Rights Movement, and the transformative force of the arts—music, literature, and critical thought. The voices of civil rights activists and thinkers, the Founding Fathers, and a constellation of philosophers, writers, and reformers echo across its pages, offering pathways to reimagine political and cultural life and inspiring hope for Sudan’s future.

The essays span a wide range of themes—religion and the state, democracy, federalism, equal citizenship, freedom, power, and justice—reflecting both a deep awareness of the complexity of lived reality and a commitment to interdisciplinary analysis. This book does not provide ready-made answers; instead, it challenges readers to question assumptions, rethink entrenched structures, and participate in an open-ended project of change.”

Khalid Kodi is a Professor of the Practice at CAMD in the department of Art+Design. Born in Sudan, Khalid is an accomplished artist who has lived and worked in the United States since he immigrated to the US. He is an educator, a public intellectual, and a cultural critic who has emerged as a central figure working on multi and cross-cultural concepts. After receiving an MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Kodi has taught at Boston College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Brown University. He has held distinguished visiting positions at several institutions. In Summer 2013, he was the inaugural visiting summer faculty and artist in residence at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where he developed the painting curriculum for the Art Department’s Summer program. Kodi received the prestigious ArtOmi International Arts Colony in New York. He is also a recipient Community Works’ Artist for Social Change Award. At graduation, he received the Massachusetts College of Art and Design Two-Dimensional Fine Art Graduate Award Book. Kodi has successfully applied for grants to support his community engagement art projects. He received Boston College’s Pasquesi Family Award several times. He has applied for and received grants from Freedom House, St. Botolph Club Foundation, Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa, and Safer World. He completed community art projects funded by these institutions in partnership with several community organizations, including South Sudan’s Hope Society, and Nuba Mountains Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development Organization, among others in the US. A Pioneer in Participatory Art Since the early 1990s Kodi has been actively creating innovative, cutting edge projects and programs aiming to advance sustainable peace between communities with diverse ethnic, cultural, religious, and historical backgrounds. Activities have involved participatory approaches to help communities rebuild and overcome individual and collective war trauma. His work has been featured in numerous academic and popular publications, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Nka! The Journal for African Art, and others.