Monther Jawarbeh was born and raised in Al Arroub refugee camp, in Bethlehem. His expressive portraits of Palestinian men whose nationality is marked by the keffiyeh they wear reflect Jawarbeh’s interest in expressing a collective Palestinian identity. His works critically investigate the changing nature of resistance, which in the artists’ words ‘takes quite a different direction, that of hibernation, idleness, and depression, a condition which raises both anxiety and the prophecy of the return of the liberation project as a result of the frustrations the Palestinian nation have been going through. The psychological dimension found in his paintings is further evidenced in his bold photography portraits. Jawarbeh received his BA in Fine Arts from Al Najah University in Nablus and was a founding member of Al-Mahatta Gallery in Ramallah in 2008 and a board member of the Palestinian Artists League in 2006. He has held several solo exhibitions at cultural venues across Palestine and has participated in several group shows in Japan, Norway, and the UK.
