Born in 1973 in Alexandria, Egypt, Jehan Saleh is an Egyptian artist who lives and works in Bahrain for the past 16 years. She started her journey in Bahrain as an Art teacher in a public school from 2002 till 2005. Later she became an active member of the Bahrain Contemporary Art Society. And for the past 13 years she is working at Albareh Art Gallery (Adliya, Bahrain) as the Gallery’s Coordinator and Business Development Manager .

Zervas Art Online Gallery is pleased to announce the solo exhibition by Bahrain-based Egyptian artist Jehan Saleh featuring mixed media on canvas paintings from her latest body of work.

The human face has always held a unique fascination for Saleh and hence has served as inspiration for much of her work.  Over the years, she has built up a photographic portfolio of hundreds of portraits of friends, colleagues and strangers.  It is this portfolio that she mines for the basis of this body of work.  Starting with a black and white print of a portrait on a canvas, Saleh turns the image upside down and then proceeds to cover it with layer after layer of acrylic and ink that she allows to run and flow over the canvas.  Working in a limited palette of black, blue and tan, she stresses that simplicity is key to engaging visually with the viewer and communicating her concept. The result is mesmerizing.

2019

• Collective Exhibition “Contemporary Art Exhibition ”, Bahrain Contemporary Arts Society, Bahrain.
• Collective Exhibition,45^th Bahrain Fine Art Exhibition,The Ritz Carlton Bahrain,Albareh Art Gallery Booth.

2018

• Collective Exhibition ,X BIENNAL D’ART RIUDEBITLLES, SPAIN
• Collective Exhibition ,Gibran Khalil Gibran, Caravan arts, Bahrain and Sotheby’s London.
• Collective Exhibition ,6 Visions , The Bahrain Arts Society, Bahrain

2017

• Curator / Participate, Collective Exhibition ,Out of Tim, organized by artist Jehan Saleh and Albareh Art Gallery, Bahrain

2016

• Solo exhibition, Insight ,Albareh Art Gallery, Bahrain

2015

• Mini Art Exhibition – Katara – Qatar.

2014

• Drypoint Printmaking Workshop With Artist: Mohamad Omar Khalil – Albareh art Gallery

– Bahrain

• Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, UAE
• The 8th Riudebitlles Art Biennial Artwork on paper – Spain

2013

• “Displacement” Collective Exhibition organized by Albareh art Gallery – Artist Leadership program –  Bahrain
• Assilah international festival  of culture 35^th –  Assilah – Morocco
• Collective Exhibition “Taqaseem V” – FA gallery – Kuwait 

2012

• Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, UAE.
• Collective Exhibition – Diversity from the Arab World – Albareh art gallery – Bahrain
• Curator / Participate, Collective Exhibition ” STAMP1 ”  – The First print exhibition for Arab women artists – organized by artist Jehan Saleh and Bahrain Contemporary Arts Society – Bahrain
• Collective Exhibition “Taqaseem III” – Roiya art gallery – Jeddah – Saudi Arabia
• Collective Exhibition “Taqaseem VI” – Albareh art gallery – Bahrain

2011

• Solo Exhibition  – Blue Fig art gallery,Porto Heli,Greece.
• 3 ^rd International Art  and  Science Festival , 7^th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF PAINTING, Patras, Greece

2010   

• Collective Exhibition organized by the UN Arabic Book Club, at Palais des Nations, Geneva.
• Collective Exhibition”Stare at the Other Side”, Albareh Art Gallery, Bahrain.
• Collective Exhibition “Taqaseem II”, Art Select, Dubai.
• Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, UAE.
• Collective Exhibition “Taqaseem I”, Bahrain Contemporary Arts Society, Bahrain.
• 2^nd  International Art  and  Science Festival ,  6^th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF PAINTING ,Patras,Greece

2009      

• ‘’Across the Gulf Exhibition’’, Brisbane Arc Biennial, Australia.
• Collective Itinerary Exhibition, with Art Select, Dubai, Amman and Bahrain.
• ‘’Letter and Color”, solo exhibition, Bahrain Contemporary Art Society, Bahrain.

2008      

• Annual Collective Exhibition, Bahrain Contemporary Art Society, Bahrain.
• Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, UAE.

2007      

• Youth Saloon, Qatar.

2006      

• Annual Collective Exhibition, Bahrain Contemporary Art Society, Bahrain.

2005

• Collective Exhibition in Bahrain Gardens Club, Bahrain.
• Adhari  Festival for Graffiti Art, Bahrain.
• Collective Exhibitions organized by the Ministry of Education, Bahrain.

2004

• Collective Exhibition in Bahrain Contemporary Art Society, Bahrain.
• Graffiti Festival, Al Eskafi Society, Bahrain.
• Aseela Art Festival  for Graffiti Art, Bahrain.
• Collective Exhibitions organized by the Ministry of Education, Bahrain.
• Competition ‘’Against Torture’’, in the Human Rights Society with the participation of     Hussaini Art Centre, Bahrain.

2003      

• Collective Exhibitions organized by the Ministry of Education, Bahrain.

1995      

• Collective Exhibition for the Youth Salon, French Coucil, Port Saed, Egypt.
• Collective Exhibition, Italian Council, Port Saed, Egypt.

1992

• Biennial Port-Said, Egypt.

Prizes

2005

• Honorary Certificate of Art from Adhari Festival, Bahrain.
• Honorary Certificate from Ministry of Education for participation in Exhibitions organized by the Ministry, Bahrain.

• Second prize in the Bahrain Gardens Club, Bahrain.

2004      

• Honorary Certificate from Graffiti Festival, Al Eskafi Society, Bahrain.

• Honorary Certificate from Aseela Art Festival, Bahrain.
• Second prize in the competition of Human Rights Society ‘’Against Torture’’, Bahrain.

• Honorary Certificate from Ministry of Education for participation in Exhibitions organized by the Ministry, Bahrain.

2003      

• Honorary Certificate from Ministry of Education for participation in Exhibitions organized by the Ministry, Bahrain.

1992

• Honorary Certificate in Biennial Port-Said, Egypt.

Saleh’s work has been exhibited in Australia. Bahrain, Egypt, Greece, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and the UAE.  She has received a number of awards and Honorary Certificates from the Ministry of Education, the Human Rights Society, Al Eskafi Society, Aseela Art Festival, and the Adhari Festival.  Her work features in a number of private and public collections in the Middle East.Saleh holds a Bachelor of Art Education from Port Said University, Egypt (1995).

The portraits, sometimes visible, at other times, almost barely there, stare out of the canvas, looking at the work from the back, as it were.  They observe, provoke, watch the viewer, challenging him to first recognize their silent existence, and then engage him on a very personal emotional level.