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MOHANNA DURRA MOHANNA DURRA

MOHANNA DURRA, Jordan (1938 - 2021)

Bio

Born in 1938, in Amman, Jordan, to a Lebanese mother and a Turkish father, Muoanna Durra is a Jordanian Painter and a diplomat. He was one of the first painters to introduce abstract art, mainly...

Born in 1938, in Amman, Jordan, to a Lebanese mother and a Turkish father, Muoanna Durra is a Jordanian Painter and a diplomat. He was one of the first painters to introduce abstract art, mainly cubism, into the Jordanian art scene. Still a schoolboy, Durra was trained under Russian artist George Aleef. Later in the 1950s, he was introduced to Dutch artist William Hallowin who, in turn, taught Durra and exposed him to Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt. In 1954, Durra studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, graduation in 1958. Upon his return to Amman, he taught history of art at the Teachers' Training College. In 1964, Durra established the Fine Arts Section at the Department of Culture and Art, in Amman, and Jordan Institute of Arts and Music in 1970, becoming its director from 1970 till 1980.

Mohanna Durra is best known for his sardonic clown portraits created with mastery in free-flowing lines and expressive masses of color. The artist depicts not only the likeness of his subject, but he also captures the most profound emotions. He unearths the grief hidden underneath the clown's expression of joy. Durra is equally celebrated for his deconstructed abstractions in monochromatic palettes. He pays careful attention to the factor of light and the dynamic nature of complex geometric formations. Venturing in different techniques and styles, Durra depends on his mood when producing. His early works comprise portraits of various characters ranging from peasants and Bedouins to acclaimed members of the Jordanian society. 

Durra served nearly four decades in government service. In 1961 he received a post at the Jordanian embassy in Rome under the Ministry of Culture and Information. Then he was appointed as Director-General of the Department of Culture and Art in Amman from 1977 till 1983, and Director for Cultural Affairs of the League of Arab States in Tunis from 1980 till 1981, in addition to residencies in Rome, Cairo, and Moscow. He has held numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout the Arab world, Europe, Russia, and the United States. His work is held in collections worldwide, including the Vatican, the Imperial Court of Japan, and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Art, and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Durra passed away in 2021.


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CV

Solo Exhibition

2019

Mohanna Durra in Retrospect, Jordanian National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan

2018

Mohanna Durra- The Pioneer Of Jordanian Modern Art, Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan
Cultural Narratives, CAP Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Group Exhibition

2023

UNTITLED Abstractions, Dalloul Art foundation (DAF), Beirut, Lebanon

2022

Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s, The Block Museum, Evanston, Chicago, Illinois, USA

2020

Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s, Grey Art Gallery, New York, USA

2018

A Century in Flux, Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

2017

Night was paper and we were ink, Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

2016

A Window On Contemporary Jordanian Art, Albareh Art Gallery, Adliya, Bahrain

2013

Tajreed – A selection of Arab Abstract Art 1908 – 1960, CAP Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait



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