March 1, 2021 UPDATE: Mohanna Durra passed away a few weeks ago on January 24, 2021. He was a pioneer in the Arab art world, and was the first artist to introduce Abstraction, Cubism and Expressionism into the art community in Jordan. Durra was a Jordanian artist by nature, and his depictions of the Bedouins and local Jordanians were key subjects in his early years. His works are filled with movement and light, with overlapping planes of color and abstract form that emphasise dynamism and depth to his compositions. Mr Durra – Thank you for using your talents to bring so much beautiful art into the world. You will not be forgotten!
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1. Mohanna DURRA (Jordanian, 1938-2021)
- titled “Old Salti Woman“
- on wood panel
- dimensions 81 cm x 70 cm
- signed by the artist “Mohanna Durra” at lower left
- acquired 2004 London, UK
- A Jordanian postage stamp featuring this work was released July 2002
By Ahmad Abu Khalil. Translated from Arabic by Maru Pabón
Originally published on May 22, 2019
“To prepare this article, I sat with Muhanna for hours, two of which were spent in front of a computer screen displaying hundreds of paintings. He was eager to remember, to pause at and explain his most famous paintings in an informal manner: the painting of the Old Salti Woman, whose pictures were widespread both within Jordan and abroad, but who he painted more cleverly. Muhanna says: “A friend of the Ayed family in Salt gave me a picture of his mother, but the quality of picture was poor, so I painted it in my own way, focusing on her smile, head, and veil. After the picture became well-known, many people started claiming that she was their mother or relative!”
(from 7iber.com/culture/muhanna-durra-i-dont-remember-a-day-i-wasnt-painting/)
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2. Mohanna DURRA (Jordanian, 1938-2021)
- titled “Blue Man Arabe” (1966)
- oil on canvas
- dimensions 43 cm x 33 cm
- unsigned
- acquired in 1966 from the artist in Amman
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3. Mohanna DURRA (Jordanian, 1938-2021)
- titled “Cubista Paisaje Urbano” (1966)
- on wood panel
- dimensions 61 cm x 46 cm
- signed and dated by the artist “Mohanna Durra 1966” bottom left
- acquired 2004 London, UK
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4. Mohanna DURRA (Jordanian, 1938-2021)
- untitled, beautiful woman in blue scarf
- on wood panel
- dimensions 55 cm by 74 cm
- signed by the artist “Mohanna Durra” bottom right
- acquired in 1966 from the artist in Amman
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5. Mohanna DURRA (Jordanian, 1938-2021)
- untitled, men sitting
- on wood panel
- dimensions 69 cm by 108 cm
- unsigned
- acquired in 1966 from the artist in Amman
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6. Rafiq LAHAM (Syrian, b. 1932)
- untitled, women with water vessels
- on wood panel
- dimensions 49 cm x 22 cm
- signed by the artist in Arabic, on the lower right
- acquired in 1966 from The Gallery at the Jordan InterContinental in Amman
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7. Rafiq LAHAM (Syrian, b. 1932)
- untitled, Jerusalem, Jordan
- on wood panel
- dimensions 22 cm x 58 cm
- signed by the artist in Arabic, on the lower right
- acquired in 1966 from The Gallery at the Jordan InterContinental in Amman
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8. Rafiq LAHAM (Syrian, b. 1932)
- untitled, trees in a forest
- on wood panel
- dimensions 55 cm x 35.5 cm
- signed by the artist in Arabic, on the lower right
- acquired in 1966 from The Gallery at the Jordan InterContinental in Amman
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9. Rafiq LAHAM (Syrian, b. 1932)
- untitled, bedouin man
- watercolor
- dimensions 51 cm x 30 cm
- signed by the artist in Arabic, on the lower right
- acquired in 1966 from The Gallery at the Jordan InterContinental in Amman
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10. Abdullah MURAD (Syrian, b. 1944)
- untitled, Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, Jordan (1966)
- on canvas
- dimensions 60 cm x 43 cm
- signed by the artist “Murad 66” in the lower left
- acquired in 1966 from Ghattas Jahshan in Jerusalem, Jordan
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11. Kamal BOULLATA (Jordanian, b. 1942)
- untitled, Jerusalem, Jordan (1966)
- water color & ink on paper
- dimensions 31.5 cm x 21 cm
- signed and dated by the artist “Kamal Boullata 66”, on the left
- acquired in 1966 from Ghattas Jahshan in Jerusalem, Jordan
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12. Kamal BOULLATA (Jordanian, b. 1942)
- untitled, Jerusalem, Jordan (1966)
- water color & ink on paper
- dimensions 31.5 cm x 21 cm
- signed and dated by the artist “Kamal Boullata 66”, on the lower right
- acquired in 1966 from Ghattas Jahshan in Jerusalem, Jordan
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13. Kamal BOULLATA (Jordanian, b. 1942)
- untitled, Jerusalem, Jordan (1966)
- water color & ink on paper
- dimensions 31.5 cm x 21 cm
- signed and dated by the artist “Kamal Boullata 66”, on the upper right
- acquired in 1966 from Ghattas Jahshan in Jerusalem, Jordan
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14. Kamal BOULLATA (Jordanian, b. 1942)
- untitled, Jerusalem, Jordan (1966)
- water color & ink on paper
- dimensions 31.5 cm x 21 cm
- signed and dated by the artist “Kamal Boullata 66”, on the lower right
- acquired in 1966 from Ghattas Jahshan in Jerusalem, Jordan
Art from Jordan 