Nael Hanna – Contemporary Scottish Landscape Painter
Born in 1959 in Nineveh, Northern Iraq, Contemporary
Landscape Artist Nael Hanna grew up immersed in a rich cultural blend of Iraqi,
Greek and Syrian Christian Orthodox influences. From an early age, he
demonstrated a natural aptitude for drawing, spending much of his childhood
studying animals, birds and people — a close observation of life that continues
to underpin his work today. Having come to the UK in 1983 on a scholarship to
study at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, and later adopting
Scotland as his home, Nael Hanna is now regarded as one of the most significant
contemporary landscape painters living and working in the UK.
At the age of nineteen, Nael was conscripted into the Iraqi
army during the Iraq–Iran War. Despite the challenging circumstances, he
continued to paint and draw, and his determination and talent were recognised
when he was awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Education in Baghdad to
study art in Britain.
He began his formal art education in Southampton, completing
language and foundation art courses, before being accepted onto the Fine Art
degree programme at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. Following
his graduation, Nael was awarded a residency at the prestigious Hospitalfield
House in Arbroath. This formative period proved pivotal, fostering a deep and
enduring connection with the east coast of Scotland and its ever-changing
light, dramatic weather and rugged coastal landscapes — themes that remain
central to his work as a Scottish landscape artist.
In 1989, Nael Hanna received a further Fine Art scholarship
from the Royal Scottish Academy, enabling him to study in Florence. On his
return to Scotland, he chose to make it his permanent home, completing an MPhil
in Art before becoming a lecturer in the Fine Art Department at Duncan of
Jordanstone College of Art.
Nael Hanna now lives and works from his studio in Angus.
Nature, travel and place are central influences in Nael’s
painting. His work is instantly recognisable for its expressive, near-abstract
language and richly sculpted surfaces, with paint applied energetically to
convey movement, atmosphere and texture. His approach pays homage to artists
such as Willem de Kooning, Marc Chagall and Joan Eardley, while remaining
distinctly his own.
He is particularly inspired by Scotland’s powerful
coastlines and fishing villages, especially those along the east coast near his
Angus home. Through his paintings, Nael seeks to capture the rhythm and
emotional presence of the landscape, using distinctive palettes that respond
intuitively to light and weather. Alongside his landscapes, he also paints
flowers directly from life — often gathered from surrounding fields and
hedgerows — creating vibrant, uplifting works that pulse with colour and
energy.
