Seascape #5 by Mohammad Khalil

Mohammad Khalil who lives away from the Palestinian coast and cannot access it, draws seascape scenes of the wild wavy Mediterranean Sea and rocky beaches with wide and bold strokes of his brush. His abstract seascape paintings and canvas prints are absolutely beautiful. Mohammad Khalil was born in Al- Zarqa, Jordan in 1960. His parents were originally from AL-Walaja, a village near Bethlehem, but he was raised in Damascus.  He completed his MA degree with specialization in painting, etching, engraving, and printing techniques in 1988 at an art academy located in Dresden, Germany. After graduation, he headed back to Damascus where he displayed his first show at Naji Al-Ali Art Gallery. After his exposition, he made his way to Nicosia for work. During his stay in Nicosia, Mohammad was able to participate in several group exhibitions. Through his experience he was able to develop his own style of art that enabled him to set up several solo exhibitions. In 1994, He returned back to his homeland Palestine.  He settled in Ramallah City, where he established his own studio, and founded the Young Artists Forum, where he taught art to talented children and teenagers.  Since then, he has participated in local and international exhibitions. He also heads the Fine Arts Program at the Ministry of Culture. Inspired by German Expressionism, Khalil paints with wide brush strokes, carefully selecting and distributing colors throughout his paintings, regardless of the subject. Adding a remarkable amount of symbolism and expressionism to his work. His most valued award is the Jury Prize from the 2000 Biennale of Alexandria. Currently, Mohammed lives in Ramallah where he works as the art director of the Palestinian Ministry of Culture.