Samer Tabbaa is a sculptor based in Amman, Jordan. His practice explores materiality in a way that is collaborative, exhaustive and spiritual. Working with elements such as wood, metal, stone and pigments, Tabbaa’s approach is consistent, anchored and harmonious. His labour intensive and patient investment in the process can be seen in how delicate, worked and kneaded and yet how physically strong his pieces are.
Born in Taif, Saudi Arabia (1945), Tabbaa is inspired by the vastness, simplicity and symmetry of the desert and other natural scapes. He earned his MFA in Sculpture from Kent State University (1979), his BFA in Fine Arts (1976) and his BA in Sociology and Anthropology (1973), both from Youngstown State University. With very little prior experience in the visual arts, pursuing his degrees was a pivoting and life-changing trajectory, which can also be seen in his approach to materials; innocent, simple, and yet mature and consistent.