Celebrated for his portraits, Muhanna Al-Durra is recognised as one of the first painters in Jordan to experiment with abstract compositions. As in this 1970 work, his abstractions explore light and dynamism. Often directing movement diagonally across the canvas, Al-Durra overlays colour—at times, incorporating fabric material—to produce depth and texture. These planes of transparent colour in turn generate a sense of motion. Whether working with a monochromatic palette or one combining bold, primary tones, Al-Durra infuses his canvases with a penetrating light so that line and colour engage in a dynamic dance across the canvas.

Born in Amman to a Lebanese father and Turkish mother, Al-Durra spent his early training with George Allief, a former Russian officer with the Tsarist army living in Amman. He continued his studies under Dutch artist William Hallowin, who was living in Amman and introduced Al-Durra to Dutch painting’s use of light to infuse a composition with movement and dramatic energy. Al-Durra studied at the Royal Academy in Rome, returning to Amman in 1958 where he taught art and later met the Italian violinist and self-taught painter Armando Pron who was influential to Al-Durra’s understanding of the connection between music and visual abstraction. Al-Durra returned to Rome in 1961 after receiving a post at the Jordanian embassy, launching a long career in government service.