It’s just our luck that prominent Jordanian artist, Samer Kurdi, has decided to relocate to the United States after a seven year stint in his hometown of Amman. And we’re thrilled that his first exhibit in Seattle will be held at the 2006 SAIFF.

A painter of large, emotionally charged representational canvases in the expressionistic tradition, Kurdi’s instruction began at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. More recently, he was fortunate to be able to participate in a number of workshops alongside Arab and European artists at Darat-Al-Funun, the Arab World’s foremost institution for contemporary art, where he became a student of a prominent German Painter of Syrian origin, Marwan Qassab Bashi. “I am drawn,” says Kurdi, “to spaces that represent urban culture, and spaces where ‘life’ is either present or implied; people reading in cafes, an interior with an ashtray on a table, a flight of stairs.” His latest collection, inspired by old downtown Amman where his studio used to be, will be on display at the upper lobby of the Broadway Performance Hall for the duration of the Festival.

You can see Samer Kurdi discuss his life and work in filmmaker Amanda Lane's video installation, In the Land of the Free, which will also be on display in the Broadway Performance Hall throughout the festival.

Visit www.samerkurdi.com