The Culture and Arts Programme organised between 15 - 29 June an exhibition for artist Mohamed Samhoori entitled, A Fish in Many Colours, held at the Foundation’s office in Ramallah. The exhibition, the first for Samhoori in Palestine, revolved around the theme of refugees camps. It consisted of 38 paintings full of life and expressive colour. The image of the fish is used repeatedly in the paintings as a symbol of liberation, and the artist found inspiration for this series during his last visit to blockaded Gaza. The exhibition was heavily attended both by people from the art world, members of the intelligentsia, and the wider public. Attendees were eager to purchase Samhoori’s paintings, which are characterised by simplicity and vigor. The exhibition was widely covered by the press.
Mohamed Samhoori, born in1969 in Amman (Jordan), is a Palestinian artist, writer and journalist. Something of a nomad, Samhoori divides his time between Amman, Dubai and Beirut. In 2008 he presented his first solo exhibition, "Thunaeyat/Binaries", at the Arab Culture Centre and Club in Sharjah (UAE); his second solo show, “A Man’s Childhood” was in 2010 at the Zico House in Beirut (Lebanon). He has also exhibited in numerous group exhibitions regionally and internationally. A novelist, short story writer and poet, some of his published works include Relative Departure (2002, novel), Celebration of Lower Hand (2003, poetry), Sins and Empty Places (2004, short stories), Dancing by Understanding (2005, short stories), A City that Doesn’t Leave the House (2010, novel), The Joyful Crying (2013, diaries).