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.

Palestinian-Canadian Artist

Hailing from Eilabun, a village in occupied Palestine, Khoury has called Canada home since 2018.

Palestinian Activist

Actively and proudly advocating for Palestinian rights, particularly through the lens of arts and culture.

NFT Artist

Khoury entered the cryptoverse in 2021 with the launch of his collection ‘Wopa Land’ on Opensea.

Guinness World Record Holder

Created a portrait of an influential Palestinian poet out of bread in Nazareth that was named the “largest mosaic of expired toast”.

Life Events

2006

Al Khoury graduates from high school, during the 2006 Lebanon War with Israel.

2007

He starts a preparatory year to learn Visual Arts at the Manshar Hamanhal College in Tel Aviv. Al Khoury leaves home and lives homeless in Jerusalem, the center of the conflict. His strange and difficult experiences are reflected in his art today.

2008

Al Khoury does small jobs and saves enough money to rent his first apartment in western Jerusalem.

2009

Al Khoury “Between Reality and Imagination” a series about a young man dreaming of an ordinary life. He opens his first solo exhibition.

2011

Al Khoury returns to Eilabun. He has many failed attempts to break into the art world.

2012

Al Khoury studies under artist Michael Hallaq, a professor and lecturer at the University of Haifa. He masters the oil painting technique.

2015

Al Khoury earns a Guinness World Record for The Largest Mosaic Painting Using Toast with the portrait of a Palestinian poet made completely out of discarded bread.He becomes popular in within his community but receives backlash due to the blatantly Palestinian message of the project.

2017

Al Khoury immigrates to Canada. He starts a new stage in his life.

2019

Mr. George Al-Aama, a lecturer, art lover, and collector, holds the first solo exhibition for Khoury in Bethlehem. “The Chaos of Senses” takes place in the lobby of the Walled Off Hotel, designed and executed by the world-famous street artist Banksy.

2020

Khoury is featured in “Break,” a group exhibition hosted by art booth in the Salwa Zeidan gallery in Abu Dhabi. Khoury’s work is shown in “Breakout”, a solo exhibition at the Edmonton City Centre in cooperation with Artbooth and Modern Luxuria magazine.