Mohammed Alhaj is a Gazan artist born in Libia 1982. He is a Palestinian refugee from the village of Kokba in the Gaza Strip. His house and art works were distroyed during the bombings and he and his family were displaced to the Neisarat camp, where he currently lives.
He graduated from Al-Aqsa University in Gaza City, Palestine with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in 2004. He has participated in numerous exhibitions and art festivals in and outside Palestine. He is a founding member of the Association of Palestinian Visual Artists in the centre of the Gaza Strip and one of its administrative members
"The challenges imposed on Palestinian artists are very complex and difficult because they suffer not only from a constant war, but also from siege, division and disintegration," says Alhaj
Mohammed AlHaj is a prolific and meticulous artist. He has experimented with many styles and techniques but he has developed his own style to communicate. His drawing is impeccable and his paintings are well balanced, few elements combined with colours in different levels that enhance the subject he is working with.
His work bears the imprint of Palestinian culture, the displacement, the marginalisation, the siege and, today, the constant bombing and genocide suffered by its people. His images are both subtle and powerful. He does not get caught up in romantic folklore. Silhouettes wander through his paintings tells us about the isolation and tragedy of his people.
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