Samia Zaru

Award-winning multimedia artist, Samia Taktak Zaru, is a prolific Palestinian designer, painter, illustrator, sculptor and educator with solo and group exhibitions spanning Europe, Asia, the USA and the Arab World. Born in Nablus in 1938, Zaru studied art and education at the American University of Beirut before pursuing her post-graduate studies at the Corcoran School of Art & Design and the American University in Washington.  

While known for her diverse artistic endeavors, which also include murals and urban art, Zaru is famous for her metal sculptures and power-packed, abstract and colorful paintings characterized by Muslim and Christian symbolism and Middle Eastern influences. Her work is featured in the collections of the Vatican, Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, President Reagan and President Carter Library Museums, Rockefeller Art Collection, Russian Modern Art Museum, Iraqi Museum of Modern Art, Jordan Royal Court, Jordan National Gallery, and private collections worldwide. A pioneer of installation art in the Middle East since 1986, Zaru's most prominent sculptures are displayed at the Haya Center and the Al Hussein Gardens.