Biography

Born in Haifa, Mandate Palestine

Abed Abdi was born on the 16th of February, 1942, in Haifa, a sea port town in the north of British-ruled Palestine. When the armed conflict broke out in 1948, he was forced to leave Haifa at the age of 6, along with his family, seeking refuge in Lebanon, and later in the refugee camps of Syria. His father, Qasem Abdi, remained in Haifa during the hostilities, and the family was finally able to reunite in Haifa in 1952, by which time the city was under Israeli rule.

Abded Abdi holding an old picture of himself with his family in 1951. Photo Credit> Al Jazeera 2023

About Abed Abdi

Abed Abdi sitting in his studio. Photo credit> Al Jazeera, 2023.

“

Abed Abdi, as an artist and educator, has been consistently promoting Arab culture for over 40 years. His contribution to the visual culture of the Palestinian minority is unprecedented.

In 1964 he went to study in Dresden and on his return to Haifa in 1971 was appointed chief graphic designer and illustrator of the Al-Ittihad newspaper and the Al-Jadid literary journal, which at the time were the main platforms of Arab culture and society. It was then that Abdi created hundreds of illustrations and prints – images of refugees, exile and homeland – the majority of which illustrated the literary works of Emile Habibi, Salman Natour, Samih al-Qasim, and others.

It is these images that shaped Arab visual memory of historical events like the Nakba, the refugee camps, destroyed villages, and the events of Land Day, hence the works’ significant influence on the collective memory of the Palestinian minority.

The jury's comment for the Minister of Culture's awards for the arts Minister of Culture'

Education

Educated by well known artists in Israel and Germany, he is the first Palestinian in Israel who had pursued academic studies in fine arts.

• 1958 – 1961 Professional School, Haifa.

• 1958- 1962 Painting and sculpture in the workshops of the art teachers: Avraham Yashkil, Zvi Meirowitz And the sculptural Mordechai Kafri, Haifa.

• 1964-1965 Preparatory Year for the German Academy of Art, Leipzig, Germany.

• 1965-1971 Fine Arts Academy in Dresden, Germany. Specialization in mural and graphical Art . Teachers, among others, Lea Grundig, Gerhard Kettner and Gerhard Bondzin. Diploma M.A. with honors in 1971.
• 1971-1972 Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden, Germany. Specialized in mural for another year.

Abed Abdi at the Dresden Academy of Art, 1971

Portrait (right) “Abed Abdi the student”, drawing by Prof. Lea Grundig, Dresden 1967, photo by Kramer Rudolph 1967.

source: The German Archives

Abed Abdi at the Dresden Academy of Art, 1969

Abed Abdi the student, portrait by Lea Grundig, 1967

Abed Abdi in front of his mural at the Dresden Academy of Art, 1971

Abed Abdi with fellow students at the Dresden Academy of Art

Abed Abdi during academic studies in Germany, 1969

Abed Abdi at the Dresden Academy of Art

Employment

Art Instruction

Visual Artist / Exhibitions

Illustratror and Graphic Designer

Envitonmental Sculptures

Curator

Speaker in Conferences

Membership in public Institutions

Publications

• 1975 -2000 Art and Painting instructor, Kfar Yasif, the local council’s community center.
• 1977 – 1996 Art and Painting instructor, Shfaram, the local council’s community center.
• 1977 – 1979 Art and Painting instructorg, Al-Makar, the local council’s community center.
• 1979 – 1981 Art and Painting instructor, Acre, Community Center.
• 1981-1985 Lecturer in Art and Painting, Terra-Santa Comprehensive School, Jaffa-Tel Aviv.
• 1990 – 1982 Art and Painting instructor, Dalit El Carmel, Council Community Center
Local.
• 1983-1990 Art and Painting instructor, Ohel Sarah College.
• 1983-2004 Art and Painting instructor in the workshops of the Jewish-Arab Center for Culture Beit Hagefen, Haifa.
• 1985-2009 Lecturer in Art and History of the Arts, Arab College of Education In Israel, Haifa (until retirement).
• 1993-2018 Art and Painting instructor as part of a “National Cultural Basket” by the Ministry of Education in dozens of schools from the North to the Negev.

•1985-today Art and Painting instructor at the Weekly Painting and Sculpture Workshops for young gifted children from all denominations in the city, in the private studio in Haifa.

Solo Exhibitions

2021 Balqis Art Gallery, Nazareth

2021 International Art Colony (virtual exhibition) “Challenging the Pandemic”

•2020 14th ART Dubai – Modern, Gallery One, Dubai, United Arab Emirates ( Was postponed to 2021 due to the Corona pandemic.) Curators: Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath.

• 2019 Exhibition “Memory Drawers”, “Livan” Gallery, Nazareth

• 2019 Exhibition as part of the “Tribute to Artist Abed Abdi” Conference, Haifa Culture Club.

• 2018 Exhibition “Memory Drawers”, Galilee Collaborative Gallery, Kibbutz Kabri. Curator: Avishalom Suleiman.

• 2018 “Visual Observation”, Mahmoud Darwish Cultural Center Gallery, Nazareth. Curator: Prof. Assad Azi.

• 2014 Exhibition “A Tribute to My Sister Lutfiya-2”, Peace Gallery, Givat Haviva. Curator: Dr.
Ayelet Zohar.

• 2013 Exhibition “A Tribute to My Sister Lutfiya”, Beit Hagefen Gallery, Haifa. Curator: Dr. Ayelet Zohar.

• 2011 “An Evening with artist Abdel Abdi and his works”, Arabelle Gallery, Haifa.

• 2010 The retrospective exhibition, “50 Years of Creation”, Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery. Curator: Dr. Tal Ben Zvi.

• 2008 “Land Day: The Story of a Monument in Sakhnin”, Musawawa Center, Haifa. Curator: Dr. Tal Ben Zvi

• 2008 “We Didn’t Forget “, Arabelle Gallery, Haifa. Curator: Dr. Tal Ben Zvi.

• 2008 Solo Exhibition in the city of Bad Freienwalde, Germany. Curaor: Elke Bremmer.

• 2007 Solo Exhibition at the Artist’s Association KUNSTVEREIN , SCHALLSTADT Germany.

•2006 “45 Years of Creation,” Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra Gallery.
• 2006 “45 Years of Creation”, City Gallery, Tamra.

• 2002 “Visual Dialogue” Exhibition, Israel Painters and Sculptors Association, Haifa

• 2001 Exhibition “The Hidden and Hanging”, Eshkol Pais Community Center, Kiryat Haim.

• 2000 “The Hidden and Hanging” Exhibition,

• 2000 Exhibition “The Hidden and the Hanging”, Steinberg Culture House, Municipality of Holon, Holon.

• 1999 Exhibition “The Hidden and Hanging”, Cultural Center “Khalil Sakakini” Ramallah.

• 1997 Exhibition “Looking for the Hidden”, Beit Gabriel, Plant.

• 1996 “Al Wasti” Cultural Center, Jerusalem Curator: Sliman Mansour.

• 1996 “Khalil Sakakini” Ramallah. Curated by Dr. Adila Al Aidi.

• 1995 Beit Nagler Gallery, Kiryat Bialik.

• 1995 Artist House Gallery, Doha, Qatar.

• 1994 “Nagler House” gallery, Kiryat Haim.

• 1994 Beit Hagefen Gallery – The Jewish Arab Center, Haifa.

• 1994 “Nature Is Not Still”, Carmel Gallery, Dalit El Carmel. Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. Israel Painters and Sculptors Association, Haifa

• 1991 “Beit Hagefen” Gallery – Jewish-Arab Center, Haifa.

• 1990 USA Cultural Center Gallery, USA Embassy, Tel Aviv.
• 1982 Workers’ Union Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria.

• 1982 Gallery of the Bouzart Museum, Brussels, Belgium.

• 1976 Exhibition of Drawings and Prints, Friendship Gallery, Nazareth. Curator: Azmi Bishara.

• 1975 Exhibition of Drawings and Prints, Evangelical Community Club, Shfaram.

• 1972 Exhibition of Drawings and Prints, Artists’ House Gallery, Painters and Sculptors Association in Israel, Haifa.

• 1972 Exhibition of Drawings and Prints, Beit Hagefen Gallery – The Jewish-Arab Center, Haifa.

• 1962 Fraternity Culture Club Gallery, Tel Aviv. Curator: C. Adam.

Group Exhibitions

1970-2020 Participated in more than 70 group exhibitions in Israel and abroad, among which are:

1961 Art Exhibition by the Histadrut, the Artists’ House, Haifa.

1966 5 Students Exhibition of the Academy of Art, Berlisha Tires Gallery, Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, Germany.

1978 An exhibition of Jewish and Arab artists from the Israeli delegation, as part of the Havana International Youth Festival, Cuba. Participated by the late Uri Lifshitz and the late Gershon Knispel.

1980 Exhibition of Jewish and Arab Artists, Nazareth Community Center.

1985 Arab Artists Exhibition, Beit Gefen Gallery The Jewish-Arab Cultural Center, Haifa.
1988 The Joint Exhibition of Israeli and Palestinian Artists “They Are Possible”, which has traveled across many European and US cities under the auspices of Cooper Union Art Academy, New York, USA. Curators: Kamal Boullata and Jonah Fisher. Israeli & Palestinian artists unite for peace: an exhibition of works on paper, the Great & Hall Gallery, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

1988 “Haifa Portrait Plus”, Haifa Museum.

1994 The joint exhibition of Arab and Jewish artists on understanding between religions in Paris, by the Paris Municipality and the Religion Understanding Organization, France.

1995 “To Where?”, Israeli-Palestinian Art Exhibition, Hamburg, Germany. Curator: Gabriella Haines.

1996 The National Exhibition of Arab Artists – “Cumulative Strata of Color,” Israel’s Painters and Sculptors Association, Haifa.

1997 Beit Hagefen-Jewish-Arab Center, as part of the holiday festival, Haifa.

1997 “Wings of Peace”, exhibition by Jewish and Arab artists, Beit Nagler Community Center Gallery, Kiryat Haim.

1997 Struck Brides and Groom’s Painters and Sculptors Association in Israel, Haifa and the North.

1997 Palestine: the Reality and the Dream, National Gallery of Art, Amman, Jordan.

1999 The Gateway, National Gallery of Art, Amman, Jordan.

2001 Group Exhibition of Haifa Municipality Prize Winners of the Herman Struck 1999, 2001, Haifa Municipality Hall, Haifa Municipality.

2002 From the Ocean to the Gulf and Beyond: Arab Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Art, Amman, Jordan.

2003 Annual Exhibition, Gyor City Museum, Hungary. Győr

2003 “And love for your neighbor .. – Flag and banner” – National Exhibition International Convention Center, Haifa.

2005 “Segments of the Orange”, Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery, Umm al-Fahm.

2005 “Oriental and Arab”, Jewish and Arab Artists – Six Exhibitions in Six Settlements. Treasures: Bow Shula and Zahed Deaf.

2005 “Art of Print”, Israel Painters and Sculptors Association, Haifa

2005 Annual Exhibition, Idobosurmin City Museum, Hungary.

2006 “Artist, Workshop, Print,” Israel Painters and Sculptors Association, Haifa.

2006 “Living Together”, Group Exhibition of Painters and Sculptors Association in Israel, Haifa.

2006 Annual Exhibition, Idobosurmin City Museum, Hungary.

2007 Annual Exhibition 2007, Association of Painters and Sculptors in Israel, Haifa.

2007 “Neighbors,” The Art Gallery, Beit Yigal Alon, Gnoser.

2007 Exhibition “Three Arab Artists”, Idobosurmin City Museum, Hungary.

2008 “Artists from the Mediterranean Basin”, Gudor Gallery, Budapest, Hungary. Gödör

2009 Winners of 2008, Ministry of Culture and Sport Awards, Art and Design, Haim Ether Art Museum, Kibbutz Ein Harod.

2009 exhibition “Men in the Sun”. Curators: Tal Ben-Zvi and Hanna Farah. Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Herzliya.

2009 “Inspiration”, exhibition of Jewish and Arab artists, Railway Gallery, Bad Frein Walda, Germany. Curator: Alka Brimer.

2010 “Haifa, Plovdiv,” Israeli artists at Pigmalion House, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Curator: Shirley is paid.

2011 Contemporary Art Fair, Carla Bayle, France.

2011 “Snapshot”, Diagilev Gallery, Tel Aviv. Curator: Tamar Tadmor.

2011 “Identity,” Phelan Gallery D, Dusseldorf, Germany.

2012. The Wonderland exhibition “Wonderful Land – Wonderland,” by Arab and Jewish artists by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, which wandered in Israel, Germany and the European Parliament building in Brussels, Belgium.

2012 “The Woman in the Artist’s Works”, Shfaram Culture and Art House. Curator: Ahmed Canaan.

2013 “Great Land” – Israeli and Palestinian Artists. Curator: Shirley is paid. Bundestag German Parliament Building, Berlin, Germany.

2013 “Hosted by Abed Abdi,” Members of the Jewish-Arab Cooperative Gallery in Kabri are hosted in the studio of artist Abed Abadi.

2013 “Urban Landscape”, Haifa City Museum, Curator: Inbar Dror Lex, Zohar Efron.

2014 “The profile is also aggression”, from the “Haaretz” collection, minus one gallery, Tel Aviv.

2014 “The Generous Tree – The Story of the Olive Tree”, Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery, Umm al-Fahm.

2014 “In memory of artist Issam Bader,” Zawiya Gallery, Ramallah.

2014 “Expressions of Text and Letters in Contemporary Palestinian Art”, Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery, Umm al-Fahm. Curator: Dr. Maliha Muslimani.

2015 Exhibition “Arab Architecture: Haifa” (1860-1930), City Museum, Haifa. Curator: Keren Ben Hillel and Inbar Dror Lex

2015 MAP OF THE NEW ART, Imago Mundi, Luciano Benetton’s global art project, Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, Italy.

2016 Pinceszint Gallery, Budapest, Hungary (Masters of Palestinian Art vol.1)

2017 Third Identity , Contemporary Art Platform, Kuwait Curator: Rulla Alami Valerie Reinhold .

2017 “Bad Taste – Fiftieth Anniversary of Occupation,” Minus One Gallery, Tel Aviv.

2018 “Homes”, gallery at the Walled off Hotel, Bethlehem. Curator: Dr. Husni Shahada.

2018 Jewish-Arab Joint Exhibition, “1948 Haifa City Museum. Curators: Einbar Dror Lex and Dr. Majed Hamra , Sponsored by the Lottery Factory

2018 Károlyi Palace in Hungary, Fehérvárcsúrgó (Masters of Palestinian Art vol.2)

2019 “Twentieth Century / Middle East Art,” Sotheby’s Auction House in London, England (Sotheby’s)

2019 “Affiliate”, Dubai Design District, Dubai Treasures: Rula Alami and Nadine Khoury

2019 Karolyi Palace in Fehvarchorgu Hungary Hungary (Masters of Palestinian Art vol.3)

2019 Art Gallery BARTOK1, Budapest Hungary (Masters of Palestinian Art)

2019 “Dubai Art” – 13th ART Dubai – Modern

2021 Haifa Museum of Art (The Haifa Way)

2021 Millon, Paris, France (Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art)

2021-2022 The Palestinian Museum, Palestine (A People By The Sea)

2021 Al Bahie, Doha, Qatar (Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art)

2021 Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah, Palstine

2022 Haifa Museum of Art (Northern Wind)

2022 Al Bahie, Doha, Qatar (Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art)

2022 Pyramida Gallery – In collaboration with Gschaleria Wschodnia Gallery in Lodz, Poland.

2022 Millon, Paris, France (Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art)

2022 Zawyeh Galleery, Ramallah, Palestine

• 1972-1982 Chief graphic designer in the daily newspaper Al-Etihad, Journal of Cultural Affairs “El Jadeed,” and the youth journal “El Ghad.”

Book Covers and Book Illustrations

• 1972- 2016 Illustrated book covers and sketches for many writers and poets, including Emil Habibi, Anton Shams, Mohammed Ali Taha, Salman Nator, Samih El Kassem, Felicia Langer, Moshe Brazilian, Joseph Algazi (Galilee) and others.

Logo Design

• 1979 High School Logo design, Orthodox Arab High School, Haifa.
• 1984 Local Council logo design, Reina Municipality.
• 1997 Local Council logo design, Yafia Municipality.
• 1988 logo design, the city of Um El Fahem Municipality.

Theater Decor Design

• 1972 Decor designer, “The Confused Sultan,” Al Nahed Theater – Beit Hagefen Arab-Jewish Center, Haifa Directed by David Sharir.

• 1972 Decor Designer, “Cockroaches”, Theater Arts Band, Jerusalem. Directed by Samih Badran.

•1975 Decor Designer, “waiting for the left”, The popular theater in Shfaram. Director: Elias Razak.

• 1977 Decor Designer, Al Nahed Theater, directed by Adeeb Jahshan.

• 1978 Decor Designer, Beit Hagefen Theater, directed by Salim Daw.

• 1980 Decor Designer, Children’s Theater, directed by Orna Porat.

• 1981 Decor designer, “The Emperor’s Clothes”, Beit Hagefen Theater, Directed by Salim Daw and Antoine Saleh.

• 1983 Decor Designer, “Soldiers and Thieves,” Community Theater, Sakhnin. Directed by: Adeeb Jahshan.

• 1985 Decor Designer, Nazareth Municipal Theater, directed by Riyad Masarwa.

• 1987 Decor Designer, “The Ideal Mother”, Pigeon and Bird Stories Theater. Director: Victor Kamar.

• 2000 Decor Designer, Sakhnin Theater. Director: Adel Abu Ra’i.

• 1969 Participation in relief works on the facade of the Palace of Culture building in the city of Dresden, Germany, under Supervision by Prof. Gerhard Bondzin, Kulturpalast Dresden (30 x 10.5 m.
• 1971 Design and execution of “Spring water”, mural at the Academy of Art in the city of Dresden, Germany.
• 1977 Design and execution of the Land Day Monument to deepen understanding between the two peoples, Sakhnin. Together with Israeli Artist and sculptor Gershon Knispel.
•1982 Participation in an environmental sculpture project, Kfar Nahaf.
• 1982 Design and execution of a mosaic wall on the facade of the “House of Grace” church, Haifa.
• 1983 Design and execution of mosaic wall, Mr. Elias College, Iblin. ( 2 m x 50m).
• 1984 Design and execution of a relief embossment on the local council building, Reina.
• 1984 Designing of the Gospel Church Square, Nazareth.
• 1985 Design and execution of the monument “70 years for the status of a city”, the Town Hall square, Shfaram.
• 1988 Relief Design and Execution, Front of Local Council Building, Iblin
• 1988 Relief Design on the facade of the Pais Center for Culture, J’deida village.
• 1989 Cross Design and Execution, Aluminum Casting, Evangelical Church, Wadi Nisnas Neighborhood, Haifa.
• 1988 Design and execution of Arabesk, Al-Ghazar Mosque, Acre.
• 1992 Design and execution of the tomb of late author Dib Abadi, Haifa.
• 1994 Design and execution of the tomb of late Evangelical community leader Tawfiq Assad, Haifa.
• 1996 Design and execution of the tomb late writer Emil Habibi, Haifa.
• 1998 Design and execution of an environmental sculpture at the National Gallery, Amman, Jordan.
• 2000 relief design and execution, facade of the local council building, Ixal village.
• 2000 Design and execution of the memorial monument, Kana village.
• 2001 Design and execution of the memorial, Kfar Manda.
• 2003 Design and execution of environmental sculpture, the “Holiday Holiday” festival in the Wadi El Nisnas neighborhood, Haifa.
• 2004 Design and Execution of the Front Sculpture “The Science in Pen” (Marble and Bronze), The Academic Arab College For education, Haifa.
• 2004 Design and execution of a relief project on the front of the school, “The Difference Figure” and “Girl, the Dove And the book, “Iblin High School, Iblin.
• 2007 Design and execution of fountain and sculpture “The Tree of Knowledge” (Aluminum and Ceramic Mosaic), High School, Zarazir village.
• 2007 Design and execution of environmental sculpture, the “Holiday Holiday” festival in the Wadi El Nisnas neighborhood, Haifa.
• 2008 Design and execution of a “Let the Sun rise” front sculpture (Ceramics), in collaboration with the artist Haya Thomas, Elementary High School, Iblin.
• 2010 Design and Execution of Environmental Sculpture, “Holiday Holiday” Festival in the Wadi El Nisnas Neighborhood, Haifa.
• 2015 ceramics wall design and execution at the front of the International Colony of Art, Csokako, Hungary.

• 1977 Curator of the exhibition “Graphic Artists from Germany”, Friendship Gallery, Nazareth.
• 1997 Curator of the exhibition “Dialogue – Arab and Jewish Artists”, Artists’ House, Haifa.

• 2000 Curator of Young Artists Exhibition, Community Center, Tamra.

•2007 Curator of Jewish and Arab Children’s Exhibition “Inspired by the Neighborhood”, Arabelle Gallery, Haifa.

•2008 Curator of the exhibition”Window, Dream” in partnership with curator Orna Ben Shitrit, Beit Hagefen Jewish-Arab center, as part of the holiday of holidays festival, Haifa.

• 2009 curator of the exhibition “Connections” in partnership with curator Orna Ben Shitrit, Beit Hagefen Jewish-Arab center, as part of the holiday of holidays festival, Haifa.

• 2009 Curator of the exhibition “Caution! Art!”, a multidisciplinary art event across the city, in partnership with members of a group of local social and cultural activists, as part of the Haifa, Make Me a City community project.
• 2010 Curator of the exhibition “Neighboring” in partnership with curator Inbar Dror Lex, Beit Hagefen Jewish-Arab Center, as part of the holiday of holidays festival, Haifa.
• 2010 Curator of Jewish and Arab Children’s Exhibition, Arbel Gallery, Haifa.

• 2013 Curator, Visual Memory, solo exhibition by Fouad agbaria, Um El Fahem Gallery.

• 2016 Exhibition curator “Bustan Khayat”, Jewish and Arab artists for the preservation of the municipal garden “Bustan Hyatt” in Haifa. Beit Hagefen Jewish-Arab Center, Haifa. In partnership with the curators: Yaela Hazut and Eyal Friedlander.
• 2018 Advisory Curator, International Art Colony, Csokako, Hungary.

• 2019 Advisory Curator, International Art Colony, Csokako, Hungary.

•1994 Conference attended by French intellectuals and Arab and Jewish artists on “Understanding Between Religions”, organized by the Municipality of Paris, France.
• 2009 Conference on Reflections on East Germany, from the Department of German Culture at the University of Haifa.
• 2013 Conference on “Palestinian Art”, Beit Hagefen Jewish-Arab Center, Haifa.
• 2014 Haifa Story Festival, Family-Poetic Meeting on Refugee Experiences, Center  Musawa, Haifa.
• 2016 Cultural Art Conference by the Jordanian Writers Association, Amman, Jordan.
• 2017 The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Conference in Tel Aviv, on the image of the German artist Of Jewish origin Lea Grundig.
• 2019 Conference “Tribute to artist Abed Abdi” on behalf of Orthodox Culture Club, Haifa.

Since 1963 member of the “Painters and Sculptors Association”.
 1978-1982 Member of the Board, Painters and Sculptors Association.
1982-1985 Member of the Audit Committee at the Painters and Sculptors Association.
1985-1990 Member of the Board. Painters and Sculptors Association.
1993-1997 Member of the “National Culture Basket” Council of the Ministry of Education.
1995-1999 Founder of Khalil Al-Sakakini Cultural Center, Ramallah.
1996-1999 Founder of Ibda’a Association for the Advancement of Art in the Arab Sector and First Chair.
2014 – 2019 Founder and Chairman of the Arabelle Association for the Advancement of Visual Art in Haifa.
2015-2019 Chairman of the El Midan Theater Council, Haifa.

1973 Abed Abdi – works – a painting album.

1977 Land Day Memorial Album, Abed Abdi-Gershon Knispel.

2010 Comprehensive Catalog “50 Years of Creation.” Edited by: Dr. Tal Ben Zvi.

2013 “Tribute to my sister Lotfia” catalog, Beit Hagefen Gallery, Haifa. Curator: Dr. Ayelet Zohar.
1998-2020 Web site (http://abedabdi.com), which contains the 1955-to-date works archive, in the following languages: Arabic, Hebrew and English. The site also contains an archive of articles about me in the above languages, and a video archive.

Abed Abdi with his art students, 1978

Abed Abdi with colleagues, early 60's

Abed Abdi standing in front of his environmental sculpture in Haifa

Abed Abdi working on the Land Day Monument, 1978

Abed Abdi painting his self portrait at his studio, 2021

Abed Abdi with his art students, 2010

Abed Abdi with fellow artists at the "7 Masters of Palestinian Art" Residency, 2016

Abed Abdi with donors in front of his artwork at Haifa Museum of Art

Prizes and Awards

Abed Abdi has been awarded the highest honorary prizes both by Israel and Palestine, and he is a honorary citizen of the city of Haifa since 2010.

Abed Abdi receiving the Palestine Prize from the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian minister of culture.

Photo credit: Presidential Palace, Ramallah, Palestine

1961 Sculpture Histadrut Prize.

1972 Award for the encouragement of young artists, International Youth Festival, Berlin, Germany.

1973 Herman Struck Award, Artists Association, Haifa Municipality.

1999 German State Prize for Art Studies.

1999 Herman Struck Award, Artists Association, Haifa Municipality.

2008 Minister of Science, Culture and Sports Award in the field of plastic art for 2008

2010 Honorary Citizen, Haifa City Municipality.

2019 Palestine Prize, the Palestinian President and the Ministry of Culture.

Other:

• 1993 World Rotary Organization, in recognition of the contribution to peace.

• 1997 World Rotary Organization, in recognition of its contribution to encouraging understanding between nations.

• 1999 “All Elarav” newspaper.

• 2004 Haifa Orthodox High School Alumni Association.

•2008 Honorary Mention, The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue Between Cultures
• 2009 Arab Artists Association “Ibda’a”

• 2009 Community Center, Yafia.

• 2011 Castle Municipality.

• 2014 Local Council Iblin.

• 2016 Ministry of Culture, PA.

• 2017 Jordanian Writers Association.

• 2018 Taibe Municipality.

• 2019 Haifa Culture Club, on behalf of the Orthodox Church, Haifa.

Public / Private Collections

• The British Museum in London, United Kingdom .
• National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan.
• D.A.F Museum, Beirut Lebanon, and Dr. Ramsey Dalall’s Collection in London, England.
• Amos Shoken Collection – Haaretz Newspaper.
• The Bank of Palestine Collection, Bethlehem, Palestine.

Barjeel Art Foundation / Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

• Archive of the Office of the President of the State, Budapest, Hungary.
• Budapest Bishop’s Office – Estergum, Hungary.
• Dresden Academy of Art, Germany.
• Dar Al Nimer Collection, Beers, Lebanon.
• Luciano Benton Collection, Rome, Italy.
• Kiyan Collection, Beirut, Lebanon.
• The Art Gallery, Umm al-Fahm.
• Hagar Gallery, Tel Aviv.
• Ministry of Culture Archive, Sofia, Bulgaria.
• The Israel Museum Archive.
• Princess Vijdan Ali Collection, Amma, Jordan.
• Archive of the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, Palestine
• Oldenburg Municipality, Germany.
• Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art, Győr, Hungary.
• Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art, Hajduböszörmény, Hungary.
• Palestine Museum USA.
•Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel

• Haifa Museum of Art, Israel

•Ann and Ari Rosenblatt Collection, USA

• Luna Art Fund

Abed Abdi standing in front of his artworks at the Palestinian Museum, Ramallah, 2020

Abed Abdi sitting on a donkey at his father's "Horse taxi" business, 1953

The Wandering Museum in the Works of Abed Abdi

In 1962 my father held his first exhibition in Tel Aviv initiated by left-wing activists such as Gila Balas and her husband Shimon along with the poet Issam Al-Abassi and others. This event provided great cultural feedback as he was also elected to membership of the Artists Committee. He was twenty years old at the time and was the youngest and the first Arab artist to become a member of the committee.

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Last update: November, 2022.

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