Hannan Abu-Hussein (in Arabic: ÃÂÃÂçàãèàÃÂóÃÂÃÂ; born 1972 in Umm-El-Fahem) is a Palestinian visual artist and educator. She is known for installation art and video art. Abu-Hussein lives in Jerusalem.
Hannan Abu-Hussein was born in 1972 in the city of Umm al-Fahm as the youngest daughter amongst four older brothers.
She studied art at the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College (1992âÂÂ1995) and earned a B.F.A. from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem (1995âÂÂ1999). She continued her studies, earning a diploma in Organizational Management of Art Institutes from Tel Aviv University (2000âÂÂ2001) and a postgraduate diploma at the ceramics at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem (2001âÂÂ2003) as well as an M.A in art history from the Hebrew University (graduating 2016). Abu-Hussein also holds a teacher's certificate in art education from the Hebrew University (2002); a diploma in group instruction from the Tel Aviv University (2012âÂÂ2013); and studied Israeli Art at the Tel Aviv-Yafo Academy (2015).
Abu-Hussein's work is inspired by the oppression and exclusion of women in her community, whose experiences are a consequence of belonging to a religious and national minority. Abu-Hussein's art examines the status of women within all patriarchal societies, considering issues such as sexual violence, traditional gender roles, family honor, and the meaning of home. The Ministry of Education Young Artist Prize committee describe her as âÂÂan aware and uncompromising artist who uses charged imagery that touches specific characteristics that deal with women's position in the Arab culture.âÂÂ
For many years Abu-Hussein has been examining local floor tiles (balatot) and using concrete as a key material. In her 2019 "Body Fragments" exhibition at the Haifa Museum of Art, for instance, the artist's installation consisted of used brassieres fixed in cast concrete. âÂÂConcrete is a central characteristic that is essential to Abu-HusseinâÂÂs work and which connects it. It is a hard substance, that connects to ideas like construction, stability, inflexibility, borders, walls, homes. The concrete is combined with feminine objects and imagery thus creating conflicts within the material and concepts. Monuments that are painful, prickly, vulnerable and fragile, created from a struggle for independence, equality and for freedomâÂÂ, writes Shirley Meshulam who curated Abu-Hussein's show âÂÂDeep Breathâ at the Grand Art Gallery in Haifa. âÂÂThe materials that she uses are simple, direct and strong. The objects that occupy her installations create a fascinating hallucinatory scene, that encourage the viewer to be in their proximity but simultaneously repulse him creating a sense of terrorâÂÂ, write the judges of the Creativity Encouragement Award in the 2010 catalog.
Since 2002 Abu-Hussein has started experimenting with video, which has become increasingly more central to her work. In Aida Nasrallah's words, âÂÂvideo as a tool enables her to check cultural boundaries and surface issues that touch gender and multiple identities, scrutinizing different aspects of oppression â cultural, social, gender-oriented, status and political.âÂÂ
Abu-Hussein's studio is located in The New Gallery Artist Studios at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. In addition to her work as an artist, Abu-Hussein works as an educator in the youth department at the Israel Museum and at a public boys' school in Isawiya neighborhood of Jerusalem.