Nour-Eddine Jarram
In his watercolours, the artist Nour-Eddine Jarram explores the plight of refugees and migrants. His work illustrates how identity, vulnerability and human dignity intersect.
Works by Nour-Eddine Jarram are on display at Galerie Maurits van de Laar.
In his work, Nour-Eddine Jarram (1956) focuses on refugees, migration and identity. As a Moroccan student, he came to the Netherlands to study at the AKI in Enschede. His own experiences as a migrant are a major source of inspiration for his art.
Watercolours on refugees and migration
Jarram creates watercolours based on press photographs and selfies of young people from migrant backgrounds posted on social media. In his series *Moroccan Youngsters* he portrays young people who present themselves as self-assured, yet also vulnerable. The Rijksmuseum acquired this series as a contemporary document of today’s society.
Social developments also play a part in his work. For example, he produced watercolours depicting the migration crisis in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, on the border with Morocco. Themes such as intolerance, discrimination and the plight of refugees recur regularly.
Connection with Henk Chabot
Jarram’s work bears similarities to the paintings of Henk Chabot (1894–1949). During the Second World War, Chabot painted refugees, people in hiding and those who had lost their homes.
Both artists focus on human dignity, freedom and injustice. They also share an admiration for Rembrandt. The exhibition *People Like Us* at the Chabot Museum in Rotterdam brings their works together.
Works on paper at Galerie Maurits van de Laar
Galerie Maurits van de Laar is currently exhibiting recent watercolours and other works on paper by Nour-Eddine Jarram. These include portraits of young refugees. The paintings convey their vulnerability, but also their serenity and innocence.
