“The Jebel Zaghwan” by Leo Jahaan.
Oil on canvas, 2013.
100 cm x 100 cm.

“The Jebel Zaghwan”.  The word ‘jebel’ (also ‘djebel’ or ‘jabal’) is used in parts of Northern Africa and the Middle-East when referring to a hill or mountain.  Here depicted is a mountain located near the town of Zaghwan (also known as Zaghouan) in Tunisia.  The mountain has long been an important feature, with the lower slopes featuring the ‘Temple of Water’ built by the Romans almost 2000 years ago.  The temple was the source of one of the longest Roman aqueducts, carrying over 200 liters of water per second from the mountain to Carthage over 132 km away and taking over 2 days to arrive.  In the 13th century an Arab ruler built a bypass to divert water to his palace gardens.  The mountain is now part of a national park, and a modern water line still carries water from here to the capital Tunis.

“Shrapnel World” by Leo Jahaan.
Oil on canvas, 2013.
100 cm x 100 cm.

“Shrapnel World” depicts the different types of artillery shells in use by various countries during the First World War.  These shrapnel shells are of course designed to spread the damage over an enlarged area, killing the maximum number of humans possible.  While the main image shows the internal design, the painting’s overlay shows the shell ‘in action’, while also serving as a visual metaphor for a financial chart, indicating ‘the business of war is continually profitable’.

“Dust Storm” by Leo Jahaan.
Oil on canvas, 2014.
100 cm x 120 cm.

The two paintings “Whirl Wind” & “Dust Storm” are based on diagrams from a book (1873) detailing atmospheric phenomenon.  The original diagrams were the result of 3rd-party reports rather than actual observation, resulting in depictions not entirely accurate.

“Golden Dream March” by Leo Jahaan.
Oil on canvas, 2014.
80 cm x 180cm.

“Golden Dream March” is a forgotten piece of music from a forgotten composer ‘W M Treloar’. The sheet music was published in a small-town magazine in 1906.  How does the music sound? The artist is waiting for someone to play it…