Mail Art. This parody of Mantegna's St Sebastian (c.1460) is a drawing of a man with a stamp head of Marianne layered on a playing card showing clubs; instead of arrows, he is being persecuted by pointed fingers. The historical reference is to the martyrdom of Sebastian, a soldier in the Roman army, who because of his conversion to Christianity suffered a double death; he survived the arrows and then was clubbed to death. Musa frequently uses this story as a metaphor to convey suffering and bad luck (H-U Khan. Modernities & Memories Recent Works from the Islamic World. Exhibition catalogue, Venice Biennale, 1997, pp 46-47).
The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian Par Avion By Air Mail Art
This material is held atSchool of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Archives, University of London
- Reference
- GB 102 MS 381333/26
- Dates of Creation
- 1997
- Name of Creator
- Language of Material
- English French
- Physical Description
- 1 item
- Digital Materials
Digital version available online at SOAS Digital Collections
Scope and Content
Access Information
Collection currently on display in the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, until 23rd March 2019.
Restrictions Apply
Acquisition Information
The donation was made to SOAS Library in June 2018 by Elsbeth Court, an academic who teaches African Art on the IFCELS course at SOAS, with the support and agreement of the artist Hassan Musa.
Physical Characteristics and/or Technical Requirements
brown paper envelope 16cm x 23cm
Archivist's Note
Catalogued
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright in the artwork of Hassan Musa assigned to SOAS by the artist, 2018. Copyrights persist in other images and texts. The user is advised to investigate copyrights before making any re-use of this material.