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HANAN KHALIL
FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING
4 to 31 December 2018
For 12 months Hanan Khalil’s fans have been delighted with her witty illustrations of Arabic idioms. Now over 80 of the original works will be on display in Jacaranda Images December exhibition.
As a visual thinker, Hanan Khalil uses her vivid sense of colour and skill of drawing expressive faces to document her daily observations of the sayings and phrases taken so much for granted. Idioms, metaphors and expressions are abundant in all cultures and they seem to be collectively understood and mysteriously exchanged by the same society. In this exhibition they come to life with characters we all know!
We quickly relate to those words or phrases that add humor to dark or smart and funny situations. Khalil’s drawings reveal how much we judge each other and how much of a negative impact this could have on the people around us.
“I believe that language sometimes creates a barrier between people, hence my work to bring people from different cultures closer to each other. I truly believe that understanding any culture’s inside jokes, puns, and idioms boosts our sense of oneness.”
A booklet of the sketches from ‘Figuratively Speaking’ will be launched at the opening of the exhibition.
Hanan Khalil
Hanan Khalil is an artist, illustrator and art teacher for the past twenty years at the Ahliyyah school for girls. Khalil studied art in Yarmouk University and continued her journey in the field by participating in various workshops with prominent artist such as Aziz Amoura, Mohanna Durra and at Darat al Funun. She has participated in group exhibitions at the Jordan National Gallery and Zara, and collaborated with fellow artists on site specific art and public interventions. “Ever since I can remember I was labeled an artist, encouraged by my family and friends to care for my talent. I did find it quite challenging to be in the art scene and to find what they call a “style”, as this cannot be achieved without constant work, persistence and dedication. I painted less and dedicated time to my teaching career. I did art, away from the stress of the art scene, and I did it as an escape from the harsh world we live in”.
