Biography
Nabil Anani (b. 1943, Latroun) is a pivotal figure in the contemporary Palestinian art movement. After graduating in Fine Arts from Egypt’s Alexandria University in 1969, Anani began his career as an artist and art teacher/trainer at the UN college in Ramallah. His artistic journey commenced with a 1972 exhibition in Jerusalem, which led to several solo and group shows across Europe, North America, West Asia, North Africa and Japan. Anani's practice encompasses painting, ceramics and sculpture, where he pioneered the use of local materials such as leather, henna, natural dyes, paper-mâché, wood, beads and copper. Winner of the first Palestinian National Prize for Visual Art (1997) and King Abdallah II Arab World Prize for Fine Art (2006), he has co-authored books on Palestinian arts and folklore. Anani played a key role in founding the International Academy of Fine Art in Palestine and also served as the head of the League of Palestinian Artists. He lives and works in Ramallah, Palestine.