Ibrahim Ghannam

Ibrahim Hassan Kheite (1930–1984), also known as Ibrahim Ghannam, was a Palestinian visual artist and painter. He was born in the coastal town of Yajur near Haifa in Palestine and later resided in Tal Al-Za'atar refugee camp, located north of Beirut in Lebanon.

Biography

Ghannam suffered from gout since childhood, which led him to rely on a wheelchair for mobility throughout his life. Despite his physical challenges, he persevered in his passion for painting, thanks to a UNRWA nurse who provided him with painting materials. Ghannam depicted scenes of village life in Yajur, in a naïve style using bright colours and a meticulousness approach to detail reminiscent of the Islamic miniaturists.

Ghannam is the subject of Adnan Mdanat's 1977 documentary film, Palestinian Visions. He said in an interview, "I feel that my life stopped at the age of 17, because that is how old I was when I left, and I only live when I dream of those days." Ghannam also found solace in playing the oud (as pictured here).

Exhibitions

2020, The Naïve Arab Artist: Naïfs, Outsiders, L’art Autre, and L’art Brut in the Middle East, American University of Beirut Art Galleries, Beirut, Lebanon