About Salam Kanaan

Salam Kanaan was born on 2 April 1963 and lives in Amman, Jordan. His love of painting and drawing began in childhood: he painted cities, people and portraits inspired by the nature around him. He found himself close to the Impressionist school, inspired by Claude Monet.

His early talent led him to study Fine Arts at Yarmouk University in the north of Jordan, where he earned his B.A. in 1987. Drawn to pottery and ruins, he began an M.A. at the Institute of Archaeology at Yarmouk University. He also worked as a research assistant and took part in the three most important excavations in Jordan in 1988. That year he received a grant from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, without hesitation, flew to Paris, where he earned his M.A. (Diplôme Supérieur) from the École des Beaux-Arts in 1993.

He came back to Jordan in 1994 with many achievements, experiences and inspirations that enriched his knowledge and polished his artistic skills. The Prime Minister of Jordan commissioned him to create two art collections for the Prime Ministry, and in 1995 he taught art at Applied Science University. He loved the city of Salt, chose to live in it, and painted its walls through his window. To encourage the protection of Salt's history, he exhibited it in 1996 under the title Return to Salt, with many paintings and watercolors showing the beauty of the city.

Duinde Gallery

In 1996 Salam moved to the old city of Amman, Jabal Amman, where he set up a new studio with a cozy private gallery called Duinde Gallery, or Salam Kanaan Gallery, at 24 Rainbow Street. A few years later the private gallery opened to the public. Salam gave it his own taste: the first thing you see is a unique and genuine collection of old and antique furniture, accessories, pottery, lighting and even coffee and tea cups, with his art hanging all over the walls. It feels warm and homely, and it is his way of spreading art and beauty. Where else can you enjoy a cup of tea while your eyes jump from one piece of art to another?

Salam focuses on the importance of art in Jordan. It is his lifelong dream to see Amman become a center, a capital, of fine art in the Arab world, just as Paris is in Europe.

Later work

In 1999 he travelled to Jerusalem several times and made many works there; they became his solo exhibition Jerusalem in 2000 at the Greater Amman Municipality, and in 2001 he published his first book, 30 Days in Jerusalem. He exhibited Amman in 2002 and again in 2005 under the title Amman the Capital. He travelled to many Arab cities, especially Cairo and Dubai, and took part in the Dubai 2050 expo in 2006. Inspired by the culture and beauty of Egypt's history, he made many works about Egypt and exhibited them in his own gallery in 2008. In 2012 he exhibited several new and private collections in his gallery under the title We Are the Sky.