Said Haddadin is an artist and writer, born 20 March 1945 in the province of Ma’in in Madaba, Jordan. Said has Christian roots and his family sent him to monastery to become a monk but he ran away after sixth months, later becoming one of the pioneers of the Arts movement in Jordan.

He has had an affinity for drawing and painting since childhood, but his family believed that their son was chasing a dream, and tried relentlessly to subdue his ambitions. Even most members of the Jordanian society didn't accept ‘Art’ as a profession because they believed that it did not generate a sufficient or predictable income. I was told that his father broke his Lute when he was a teenager, but the rebel artist didn't submit to his family’s demands, he moved to the capital Amman and worked with architects. He obtained a post as a junior architectural draftsman and proved to be adept and enthusiastic about his work. During the 1965’s he met members of the communist party and decided to become a member of the communist party. The communist party transferred him to Russia to study architecture, but he could not ignore his love for painting and asked his tutor to transfer him to the Fine Art’s Department. Said graduated from the Lvove College of Fine Arts in 1974 and recalls “I will never forget Nina Esxandrova support”. Upon graduation, he worked in the Ministry of Culture in Amman, Jordan. He created and contributed many political caricatures to local Jordanian periodicals and even had his works published in as far away as Holland in Al Wijdan Al –Arabi journal.

Said’s style of painting evolved over the years, starting with an academic style then realism, symbolism and eventually expressionism. The subject of his early painting revolved around still life and landscapes and he eventually created his own unique style around 1996; his paintings are characterized by asymmetrical faces, women’s faces expressing pride and affection, manifestations of anxiety. The colours are mostly earthly colours; sombre brown, ochre, and blue with soft stroke brushes dominating in most of his artworks. Observers can feel the deep emotions embedded in his works and his depiction of the many contradictions he has experienced during his life; love of his country, the absence of a ‘woman lover’ whose memory has been kept alive in his soul. All his works reflect elements of beauty, harmony in colours, and the unity of form.

Said Haddadin’s paintings reflect his deep seated emotions of rebellion against a false reality and the sadness he has experienced due to the harshness of life. He believes that there is a bond between humanity and the universe and has chosen the face of women to be a symbol in all his art work reflecting this link. A woman’s face represents sacrifice, compassion and the continuity of life on earth, she is part of its eternal mysteries and secrets. Said is an accomplished writer and artist who has been greatly influenced by Marxist philosophy, . He is a renowned left –wing artist who is always in a state of anxiety… his massage in life is to spread peace in the world and abolish poverty worldwide!

He has studied Latin American literature including the Colombian novelist and writer Gabriel Marquez, Jorge Amado, Mario Vargas Llosa. He has composed many poems, the most famous of which is entitled “ I travelled secretly with your name in my heart “ and “ death with you is more Beautiful “ He was influenced by Cezanne , Van Gogh, Matisse, Russian painter Ivan Shishkin and ultimately created his own style. Part of what differentiates Said from other main stream artists is that he doesn't give titles to his paintings in order to allow others to use their imagination without limit when viewing his artwork. He also painter draws more than 100 sketches per day and his colleagues call him the ‘the master of sketches in Arab world’.

The Artist has held sixteen solo exhibitions in Jordan and has participated in numerous collective exhibitions in Jordan and abroad. Today, several of his paintings are displayed in the Jordanian National Gallery, Greater Amman Municipality, the Ministry of Culture in Jordan, the National Museum in Kuwait and the Barbican Centre in London. Many private individuals have collected his works from Australia, France, Lebanon, the United States of America, Cyprus, Qatar and Japan.