Maha Shihabi

(Jerusalem - 1950 )

At an early age, Maha was a little child, when her parents have discovered her early interest in art, her expressive school drawings and indeed her early talent in all things of artistic nature. She was then immensely encouraged to pursue her amazing hobby alongside her academic and sporting studies. Summer holidays were packed with drawing tuition by the imminent artist Jamal Badran, who was a friend of her father. She developed a unique style of her own and was always given the necessary motivation until she blossomed and was sure to go on to study art as a higher degree.

Maha studied fine art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cairo/Egypt.

She successfully attained her BSc in Fine Arts in 1975.
Alongside her artistic interests and specialisation in art, Maha took up yet another successful career in aviation.
As her busy working life in the field of Aviation allowed her little time to pursue much of her oil paintings skills, she turned her attention back to pens and pencils in pursuit of expressing her thoughts and feelings through drawings, very much alongside her working profession.

As a multimedia visual artist, Maha explores the intersection of Islamic art & abstraction through vibrant colours and dynamic compositions. With a background in academic art training She has developed a unique style that blends Islamic style art & modern art.
She is constantly seeking new ways to push the boundaries of her artistic talent

Maha continues to live in Amman, Jordan.

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Artistic style

During the latter years of her studies, Maha had developed her own vivid style of art. She started having her own abstract experiences, a style born from the depths of creativity and imagination, to create unique visual interactions that carry multiple meanings, touching deep emotions, densely interwind thoughts and inner feelings.
Maha is a visual artist. Each & everyone of her artwork depict her thoughts and her inner feelings as well as many of her life adventures. Yet, very much contrasting with the practical working aspect of her life at the time.
She is indeed a most creative and versatile artist, displaying much talent in her artwork.
Her artistic skill and talent extend to fashion design, jewelry design, greeting cards design, all decorative designs and even culinary displays.

Inspirations & influences

She has been inspired by the prominent Palestinian visual artist, Jamal Badran especially known for his Islamic artworks, he was Maha’s first art tutor since an early age. Hamid Nada, prominent Egyptian artist & professor at fine art academy, his modern style & symbolism in paintings were different from anyone else she knew at the time. It would be good to say in one sentence how different? Pablo Picasso, & the renowned Spanish artist for modernism, abstraction & collage. Amedeo Modigliani, the Italian artist, known for his simplicity of figure & faces through his modern style, surreal & elongation of faces.

Silvador dalli, influenced Maha for his Surrealism & colors as well as the magnificent composition of his paintings. Wassily Kandinsky, the Russian artist, very much added to Maha’s interest in geometric figures, clarity of the space in her paintings & the use of inspiring vivid colors.