ib ▁and ▁its ▁intention ▁is ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁Kh art ou m ▁Group ▁and ▁its ▁traditional ▁male ▁out look . ▁She ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁the ▁first ▁modern ▁woman ▁painter ▁in ▁the ▁Sud an . ▁ ▁She ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁Kh art ou m ▁Techn ical ▁Institute ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁before ▁studying ▁painting , ▁illustr ation ▁and ▁l ith ography ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁College ▁of ▁Art , ▁then ▁returning ▁to ▁teach ▁at ▁the ▁Kh art ou m ▁Techn ical ▁Institute . ▁ ▁In flu ences ▁and ▁contributions ▁ ▁Un ique ▁to ▁Kam ala ▁was ▁the ▁spiritual ▁influence ▁she ▁att ained ▁from ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁William ▁Bla ke ▁and ▁the ▁a for ement ioned ▁Zar . ▁These ▁them es ▁of ▁exist ential ism ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁expressions ▁of ▁femin ism ▁would ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁central ▁them es ▁of ▁I sh aa q ' s ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁It ▁would ▁be ▁these ▁influ ences ▁that ▁distinguished ▁I sh aa q ▁from ▁her ▁compat ri ots ▁inspired ▁largely ▁by ▁Sud an ese ▁independence ▁and ▁Islam ic ▁them es . ▁If ▁Bla ke ▁and ▁Zar ▁provided ▁insp iration , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁Kh art ou m ▁School ▁that ▁taught ▁I sh aa q ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁artist . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁this ▁movement ▁to ▁wed ▁African ▁and ▁Islam ic ▁cultural ▁trad itions . ▁This ▁trans c ult ural ▁bl ending ▁presented ▁a