Born in 1959 in Nineveh, Northern Iraq, contemporary artist Nael Hanna grew up immersed in a rich cultural blend of Iraqi, Greek and Syrian Christian Orthodox influences. From an early age, he demonstrated a natural aptitude for drawing, spending much of his childhood studying animals, birds and people — a close observation of life that continues to underpin his work today. Having come to the UK in 1983 on a scholarship to study at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, and later adopting Scotland as his home, Nael Hanna is now regarded as one of the most significant contemporary landscape painters living and working in the UK.

At the age of nineteen, Nael was conscripted into the Iraqi army during the Iraq–Iran War. Despite the challenging circumstances, he continued to paint and draw, and his determination and talent were recognised when he was awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Education in Baghdad to study art in Britain.

He began his formal art education in Southampton, completing language and foundation art courses, before being accepted onto the Fine Art degree programme at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. Following his graduation, Nael was awarded a residency at the prestigious Hospitalfield House in Arbroath. This formative period proved pivotal, fostering a deep and enduring connection with the east coast of Scotland and its ever-changing light, dramatic weather and rugged coastal landscapes — themes that remain central to his work as a Scottish landscape artist.

In 1989, Nael Hanna received a further Fine Art scholarship from the Royal Scottish Academy, enabling him to study in Florence. On his return to Scotland, he chose to make it his permanent home, completing an MPhil in Art before becoming a lecturer in the Fine Art Department at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art.

Nael Hanna now lives and works from his studio in Angus.

Nature, travel and place are central influences in Nael’s painting. His work is instantly recognisable for its expressive, near-abstract language and richly sculpted surfaces, with paint applied energetically to convey movement, atmosphere and texture. His approach pays homage to artists such as Willem de Kooning, Marc Chagall and Joan Eardley, while remaining distinctly his own.

He is particularly inspired by Scotland’s powerful coastlines and fishing villages, especially those along the east coast near his Angus home. Through his paintings, Nael seeks to capture the rhythm and emotional presence of the landscape, using distinctive palettes that respond intuitively to light and weather. Alongside his landscapes, he also paints flowers directly from life — often gathered from surrounding fields and hedgerows — creating vibrant, uplifting works that pulse with colour and energy.