The Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar has masterfully transformed a piece of concrete extracted from an Israeli border wall into ordinary yet profound objects. These artworks were subsequently acquired by collectors, and the proceeds were utilized to acquire land by the artist. The resultant harvest of olives, nurtured by this endeavour, has now become an artistic manifestation in the form of olive oil.

During his residency at the CERA PROJECT, Khaled Jarrar will expand his research on the Philistine People and the profound symbolism inherent in the olive tree and its oil–both emblematic of the steadfast resistance of the Palestinian people, these symbols will take centre stage as conduits of his residency, in a local clay master studio in the North of Portugal.

Khaled Jarrar’s residency is supported by DGArtes and Forum Arte Braga.

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Khaled Jarrar (b. 1976) is an artist born in Jenin, Occupied Palestine. Currently based between NYC and Ramallah. Jarrar is a multidisciplinary artist, who explores modern power struggles and their sociocultural impact on ordinary citizens, through highly symbolic photographs, videos, film, and performative interventions, he completed his studies in interior design at Palestine Polytechnic University in 1996. Upon graduating he smuggled himself to work as a carpenter in Nazareth, living as an underground “illegal” worker. In 1998 Jarrar enlisted in intensive military training which resulted in working for Arafat as a personal bodyguard until Arafat died in 2004 and a 25-year career in the Palestinian Authority’s Presidential Guard. Attempting to create a life between the military and artistic practice, Jarrar entered the field of photography in 2005. He graduated from the International Academy of Art – Palestine, Ramallah in 2011 and completed an MFA in fine art from the University of Arizona in 2019, where he was the recipient of the 2016 Anni and Heinrich Sussman Award. Selected solo exhibitions include those at MOCA (USA), Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz (UAE), Art Bärtschi & Cie, now Wilde (Switzerland) and Galerie Polaris (France). Recent group exhibitions include those at Qattan Foundation (Palestine), Whitechapel Gallery (UK), MuCEM – The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (France), Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College (USA), 57th Venice Biennale, La Triennale di Milano, New Museum (USA), 15th Jakarta Biennale (India), 7th Berlin Biennale (Germany) and London Film Festival (UK).