Nabil Anani

Born in Latroun, Palestine, in 1943, Nabil Anani is a key founder of the contemporary Palestinian art movement. Anani graduated in Fine Art from Alexandria University, Egypt, in 1969. On his return to Palestine, he began a career as an artist and a teacher-trainer at the UN College in Ramallah. Anani held his first exhibition in Jerusalem in 1972 and has since exhibited widely in solo and group shows locally, in Europe, North America, the Middle East, North Africa, and Japan. His works are held in many museums and private collections, including the Agha Khan Museum and the Jordanian National Museum. A multi-talented artist, Anani works as a painter, ceramicist and sculptor. He has pioneered the use of local media such as leather, henna, natural dyes, paper-mâché, wood beads, and copper and, over the past four decades, has built an impressive catalogue of outstanding, innovative, and unique art. Anani is also the co-author of a number of books on Palestinian arts and folklore. He was awarded the first Palestinian National Prize for Visual Art in 1997 by Yasser Arafat. He became the head of the League of Palestinian Artists and played a key role in the establishment of the first International Academy of Fine Art in Palestine. In 2006, Anani was awarded the prestigious King Abdullah II Arab World Prize for Fine Art. In 2023, Nabil Anani and Sliman Mansour launched an annual art award, “Spring,” which aims to support young artists and encourage them to create art, given the lack of a supportive environment that incubates their artistic endeavors and exhibits their artwork. Nabil lives in Ramallah, Palestine.

• Education – Master: Islamic Archology, Al-Quds University,
• Education – BS: Fine Arts, Alexandria Fine Art University, 1969.     

2006 King Abdullah of Jordan Award in Fine Arts for the Middle East

1997 The first Palestinian National Prize for Visual Art

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

• 2023 The Land and I, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK.
• 2021 In Pursuit of Utopia, Zawyeh art Gallery, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine.
• 2014 Art of Memory: Life Before 1948, Zawyeh art Gallery, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine.
• 2013 Spirits of the Land, Art on 56th Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon.
• 2012 Land and People, Open House, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine.
• 2009 A State of Mysticism, El Sawy Culture Wheel, Cairo.
• 2008 A State of Mysticism, Khalil Al-Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah.
• 2007 A Journey Into Script, Foyles Gallery, London, UK
• 2007 Ink on Paper, Khalil Al-Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah.
• 2005 Border Rituals, Peace Centre, Bethlehem; “A Journey into Script”, Foyles Gallery, London.
• 2003 Khalil Al-Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
• 2001 People and Chairs, Khalil Al-Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah.
• 1998 Inspiration from Palestinian folklore, Hakawati Theater, Jerusalem, Occupied Palestine
  •  Leather Compositions, Al-Wasiti Art Centre, Jerusalem and Arts and Crafts Village, Gaza City.
• 1996 Leather Compositions Inspired by the first Intifada”, Khalil Al-Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah.
• 1985 Al-Wasiti Art Center, Jerusalem. Moved in the same year to Arts and Crafts Village, Gaza City, Occupied Palestine
  • Acrylic Works Inspired by Palestinian Folklore, Al-Hakawati Theatre, Jerusalem.
• 1980 Paintings and Ceramics, Gallery 79, Ramallah.
• 1974 Orthodox Club Hall, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine.
• 1972 Oil Paintings, YWCA, Jerusalem, Occupied Palestine.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

• 2022 Entangled Existence, Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
• 2021 Ramallah Art Fair, Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
• 2020 Palestinian Art: Resilience and Inspiration, Zawyeh Gallery, at Alserka, Avenue, Warehouse #44, Alqouz, Dubai
  • UAE KEYWORD PALESTINE: II, Middle East Institute, Washington DC, USA
• 2019 Challenges of Identity, Dar El Nimr, Beirut, Lebanon
  • Intimate Terrains: Representations of a Disappearing Landscape, The Palestinian Museum, Birzeit, Occupied Palestine
  • 2018 Jerusalem: 51 Years of Occupation, Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
    • Subcontracted Nations, A. M. Quattan Foundation, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
    • There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Darat Al Funun, Amman, Jordan
• 2017 Jerusalem Lives, Inaugural exhibition of the Palestinian Museum, the Palestinian Museum Birzeit, Palestine
  • A Sight of Disjunction, organized by A. M. Qattan Foundation (AMQF), Manjam – Haifa Culture Lab, Occupied Palestine.
• 2016 Our Homeland is Our Homeland, Yuser Arafat Museum, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
  • Rendezvous, Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
  • Masters of Palestinian Art, season I, International Art Colony, Budapest, Hungary
  • Unlike other springs, Birzeit University Museum, Birzeit, Occupied Palestine
  • The Identity of the Palestinian Artist: Between Tradition, Culture, Modernization and Globalization, Umm El Fahem Gallery, Occupied Palestine
  • Winter Collective, Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
• 2015 Narratives, Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
• 2014 In Memory, Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
  • Colors of life, Zawyeh Gallery, Occupied Palestine
  • The Spring Group Exhibition, Gallery One, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
• 2011 Art Palestine: Nabil Anani, Sliman Mansour, Tayseer Barakat, Meem Gallery, Dubai, UAE
  • Framed – Unframed, The Changing Representation of Women in Palestinian
  • Visual Arts, Ethnographic & Art Museum, Birzeit University, Occupied Palestine
• 2009 Passport IN REMEMBRANCE OF MAHMOUD DARWISH, BY 27 PALESTINIAN ARTISTS, Darat el Funun, Amman, Jordan
  • Palestinian Art Exhibition in the occasion of the celebrations of Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture, UNESCO in Beirut, Lebanon.
• 2005 Palestinian Art Exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland
  • Artists from Palestine, Gallery Four Walls, Amman, Jordan
  • Palestinian Art Exhibition, UNICEF, Beirut.
• 2004 The Colors of Life and Freedom, Palestinian Art Exhibition, UNESCO, Paris
• 2003 Palestinian Art Exhibition, Palestinian Artists, JALA Exhibition Hall, Tokyo, Japan
• 2002 Alexandria Biennale, International Exhibition, Alexandria, Egypt
• 2001 Palestinian Art Exhibition, Palestinian Artists, JALA Exhibition Hall, Tokyo, Japan
  • Al-Sharjah Biennale Al-Sharjah Biennale, International Artists, Sharjah, UAE
  • Palestinian Art Exhibition, The League of Tunisian Artists, Tunisia
• 2000 Palestinian Art Exhibition, Bissan Gallery, Qatar
  • Journey through the Contemporary Arts of the Arab World, Bilad al Sham, Darat al Funun, Amman, Jordan.
• 1999 Palestinian Artists, Dramen Museum, Dramen, Norway
  • The Artists of the Occupied Lands, Jordanian National Museum, Amman, Jordan
• 1997 Artistes Palestiniens Contemporains, as a part of The Palestinian Spring, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris and various locations in France
• 1996 New Vision Group, with Vera Tamari, Suleiman Mansour and Tayseer Barakat, several exhibitions in Salerno, Italy
• 1989 Amman, Jordan & AL- Hakawati Theater, Jerusalem, Occupied Palestine
• 1995 Palestinian Subordination Day, United Nations headquarters, New York,USA
  • t’s Possible, Palestinian & Israeli Artists, National Museum, Washington, USA.
• 1992 Seven Palestinian artists: Suleiman Mansour, Tayseer Barakat, Nabil Anani, Khalil Rabah, Jawad al Mahli, Yacoub al Kurd, and Vera Tamari, Darat al Funun, Amman, Jordan.          
• 1990 Palestinian Art Exhibition, Red Crescent, Montreal, Canada
  • Palestinian Art Exhibition, Parliament Hall, Madrid, Spain
  • Palestinian Art Exhibition, Tunis, Tunisia
  • 6X2 Exhibition, Geneva, Italy
• 1989 Palestinian Art Festival, Moscow, Russia
  • Palestine Week Exhibition, Hebron University, Occupied Palestine
  • New Vision Group, with Vera Tamari, Suleiman Mansour and Tayseer Barakat,
• 1986 Palestinian Art Festival, Moscow, Russia Kuwait Exhibition, part of ‘Jerusalem Day’ Kuwait
• 1985 12 Local Exhibitions, Local Palestinian Artists, through the League of Palestinian Artists, Moved between several Palestinian Cities, Occupied Palestine
• 1982 Karama Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
• 1979 Gaza Exhibition, Gaza, Occupied Palestine
  • Palestine Exhibition in Moscow, Moscow, Russia
• 1978 International Exhibition for Palestinian Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon; Palais du Tokyo, Paris, France.
• 1977 12 Local Exhibitions, Local Palestinian Artists, through the League of Palestinian Artists, Moved between several Palestinian Cities, Occupied Palestine
  • Palestinian Art Exhibition (moved between 8 States), USA
• 1976 Palestinian Art Exhibition, Tattershall Castle Boat London.
  • 1973 Joint Exhibition with Issam Bader, Orthodox Club, Ramallah.

2013 Sculptures of a Palestinian family, Rawabi City, North of Ramallah, Palestine

2002 Statue of Liberty, Ramallah, Palestine

1992 Metal memorial statue, Kaukab Abu al-Hija park, Galilee

1987 Mural, Faculty of Educational Sciences and the College of Women’s Society, Ramallah, Palestine

1986 Statue of aluminum, in collaboration with Suleiman Mansour, Ina’sh Ak Usra Family Association building, Ramallah, Palestine.

• The Birzeit University collection, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
• The Palestinian Museum, Birzeit, Occupied Palestine
• Um Al Fahem Museum, Um Al Fahem, Occupied Palestine
• Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan
• Darat Al Funun, Amman, Jordan
• Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon
• Dar El Nimr, Beirut, Lebanon
• Guggenheim, Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar
• Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France
• The Agha Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada
• Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan
• Guggenheim, New York, USA
• The Bunker Artspace, Palm Beach, USA
• Tate Modern, London, UK
• Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharja, UAE

“Some of my artworks are close to my heart just like my kids; I feel like I’m connected to these artworks biologically, mentally and emotionally.”

“My advice to the younger generation is to approach art academically, to build their basic skills first before labelling themselves as artists.”

• Fine Arts in Occupied Palestine, in collaboration with the late Palestinian artist Isam Bader, 1984.
• The Guideline to Palestinian Embroidery, in collaboration with the Palestinian artist Suliman Mansour, 1995.
• Palestine Land and People, London, 2018.
• Passage to Light, Institute of Palestine Studies, 2019.