Artist Hanny Al Khoury (b.1990) was born into an Arab Palestinian minority community in occupied Palestine. Raised in a society that valued critical debate, Al Khoury was exposed to socio-political, literary, and intellectual issues of the day from a young age. As a Christian Palestinian, a minority within a minority, he was active in religious activities which would later influence his work. These seemingly contradictory aspects of his life spurred an interest in art.
Al Khoury’s first technical training was an art program presented by his high school. He learned materials, techniques, colors, and basic artistic styles from his teacher Ola Al-Henawi.
For Al Khoury, art is a lifeline to new worlds. It is a space in which he can represent his connection to Palestine, while reflecting core human values and emotions.
Al Khoury is from the Holy Land, specifically a village called Eilabun, near the Tiberias. It is the only village among hundreds of Palestinian villages in which people returned after the Nakba of 1948. Due to its majority Christian population, the Pope of the Vatican issued a decree to the British colonizers to allow the people of Eilabun to return under new rule (Israel). In 1952, the people of Eilabun, including Khoury’s family, returned to the village where the artist was later born.
Hailing from Eilabun, a village in occupied Palestine, Khoury has called Canada home since 2018.
Actively and proudly advocating for Palestinian rights, particularly through the lens of arts and culture.
Khoury entered the cryptoverse in 2021 with the launch of his collection ‘Wopa Land’ on Opensea.
Created a portrait of an influential Palestinian poet out of bread in Nazareth that was named the “largest mosaic of expired toast”.