Mohanna Durra

Place: Amman

Born: 1938

Death: 2021

Biography:

Mohanna Durra, also known as Muhanna Durra, was a renowned Jordanian painter born in Amman in 1938. He passed away on January 24, 2021, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer of the Jordanian Arts Movement. Durra was the first to introduce Cubism and abstract art into the Jordanian visual arts community.

Early Life and Education

Born to a Lebanese father and a Turkish mother, Al-Dura was raised in a striking red hilltop villa in downtown Amman. His fascination with art began at an early age, and he was sent by his father to study art with George Allief (also known as George Aleef), a former Russian officer with the Tsarist army. Allief taught him the basics of watercolor, drawing, and painting, and the European understanding of perspective.

Career

Durra's artistic journey took him to the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, where he became the first Jordanian to receive a formal art education. He claims to have been disillusioned by the academy and committed himself to studying the classics through art in museums and churches. After graduating in 1958, Durra returned to Amman to teach history of art at the Teachers' Training College. Between 1960 and 1970, Al-Durra returned to Rome, where he experimented with abstraction and Cubism. In 1970, he returned to Jordan to receive the Kawkab Decoration from King Hussein. Around that time, Durra established an art studio; the first Jordanian to establish an art studio to teach local students.

Notable Works

Some of Durra's notable works include:

• Blue Man Árabe, 1966
• Cubista Paisaje Urbano, 1966
• Portrait of Two Women, 1975
• Composition No. 3, oil on canvas, 75 X 95 cm, 1977
• Autumn Dew, 1981
• Old Salti W

Durra was best known for his portraits and also for the way he treated shifting masses of color. He was also acknowledged as the first artist to introduce Cubism and abstract art to the Jordanian arts community.

Legacy

Durra's legacy can be seen in his contributions to the Jordanian Arts Movement, and his influence on future generations of artists. He was a professor at the Faculty of Fine Art and Design at the University of Jordan and served as the President of the Jordan Association of Fine Arts. His work can be found in various museums and private collections, including the Staatsgalerie Moderner Kunst in Munich, Germany. For more information about Mohanna Durra's life and work, visit Mohanna Durra | Wikioo.org or Muhanna Al-Dura - Wikipedia. His paintings can be found on Mohanna Durra: Untitled | Wikioo.org.