Mohammed Al Haj
محمد الحاج

Artist
Statement

Born in Libya in 1982. He is a Palestinian refugee from the village of Kaukab in the Gaza Strip. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Al-Aqsa University in Gaza City, 2004. He is a founding member of the Palestinian Association of Visual Artists in Central Gaza and one of its administrative members, in addition to being a member of the Paletta Contemporary Art Group. He works as an art teacher in a school and also teaches on an hourly basis at local universities in Gaza City.

Al-Haj’s painting styles vary from one artistic school to another, ranging from abstract to expressionist works, with some reflecting elements of pop art. He has participated in numerous exhibitions and art festivals both within Palestine and abroad. Al-Haj’s experience exemplifies the discussion of contemporary young artistic experiences in a city that suffers from a near-total disconnection from other Palestinian cities and its Arab and global surroundings. The challenges faced by Palestinian artists, in general, take on a more complex and difficult form in a city burdened by the manifestations of war, siege, division, and isolation, which impose significant challenges on its young artists.

His Solo Exhibitions:
• 2021 “Transition” – Gaza City.
• 2018-2019 “It Has Not Gone” (Bethlehem – Nazareth – Jerusalem – Ramallah and Al-Bireh).
• 2015 “Pages from the Homeland” – a joint exhibition in Amman, Jordan with Jordanian artist Mohammad Al-Dughlais.
• 2013 “Black Being in the White Space” – Gaza City.
• 2007 “Palestinian Features” – Gaza City.

International Exhibitions and Participation:
• 2024 Exhibition “Strangers in Their Homeland” – the Palestinian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Italy.
• 2022 Participation in the first Palestinian Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale, Italy.
• 2017 “Revolution of Contemporary Arts” exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan.