The Refugee
The refugee figure in Canaan's work has become an icon that repeats across multiple works and various media. In these replication, the refugee figure is undefined, symbolic of every Palestinian. The Palestinian refugee roams across his work wearing the keffiyeh, seeking to resettle the homeland. The innumerable repetitions of the figure allude to the numerous Palestinians still displaced, still waiting to return. These figures fill the large-scale compositions, engulfing the viewer and entering them into the turbulent feeling of displacement dominating the composition.
In The Refugee 4, the figure is seen from behind, carrying his few belongings in his hands, heading into the void dominating the painting and enhancing the feeling of displacement.
2010 Oil on Canvas 140x190 cm
2010 Oil on canvas 100x100 cm Collection of Mohammad Bakri, Bi'anah Village.
2010 Oil on canvas 120x170 Collection of Dr. Abd El-Aziz and Majida Allabadi, Amman, Jordan.
2010 Oil on canvas 140x190
2010 Oil on canvas 140x190
2010 Oil on canvas 140x190 Collection of Um Alfahem Museum.
2013 Oil on canvas 110x120
2013 Oil on canvas 70x190
2010 Oil on canvas 140x190 cm Collection of Dr. Ramzi Dalloul, Beirut, Lebanon.