Stories of Our Wise: Sheraly Jamal

Sheraly Jamal was born 82 years ago in Mombasa, Kenya. He attended school in Mombasa where his natural artistic ability started to flourish with support from his teachers, who encouraged him to pursue art school in Nairobi. There, Sheraly was mentored by a Persian couple.

At the art school, Sheraly learned to draw the details of the human body, such as bones and muscles. He also drew faces, capturing expressions with great finesse. 

Sheraly expanded his repertoire to nature, and produced many art pieces highlighting the local landscape. He used various types of media for his work, including pencils, ink, pastels, charcoal and acrylic paint.

In 1954, with encouragement from his teacher, Sheraly entered some of his pieces in an art competition at his local Jamatkhana. He won first prize and second prize in different categories and was honoured with certificates from the President of the Ismaili Council of Nairobi. As a teenager, Sheraly continued to receive awards for his artwork.

Although Sheraly’s parents did not fully understand his artistic drive, they were proud of him. Sheraly achieved commercial success through his artwork, as businesses approached him to develop art for their marketing campaigns.