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Salah Abed Al Atrash
Was born in 1945 near Bab Al Jaded, One of the gates to old Jerusalem.
Later the family moved to a house in Alshorafa a part in the old city,
but in 1967 another Arab-Israeli War broke out. As a result, Israel
occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River and gained control over east
Jerusalem, which was formerly under Jordanian authority. Thousands of
Palestinians were displaced from their homes, including Salah's.
As
a child, Salah was fascinated by art. At home he started drawing and
painting with simple colors, crayon and charcoal. Every penny he had was
spent buying art supplies. But his family did not understand his
artistic feeling. They wanted him to become a doctor or an engineer. At
school, although art was considered a recreational activity, some of
Salah's teachers noticed his talent.
In
1965, Salah left for Cairo to study at the Academy of Fine Arts, but the
few vacant places at the academy were far too expensive for him. Not
encourage by his family and lacking the money necessary to follow his
dram, Salah finally entered the institute for Islamic Religion and
Arabic Language.
But even while studying something totally different from all he had been
dreaming of, his interest in art did not fade. He met an Egyptian art
professor, who became his friend and teacher.
In
1971, Salah returned to Jerusalem and married.
Since 1973, Salah has been working as a teacher at the Holy Land
Christian Mission School in Bethlehem.
Jerusalem and its old city are the main source of his inspiration.
"Jerusalem is home. I love it but it has so many problems that no one
seems to care about. I want to draw attention to these problems,"
explains Salah.
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