Eco Artist in Jordan : Plastic will live 'forever' we won't

My name is Maria Nissan I am an environmental Assyrian artist born in the US and currently living in Amman.

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Graduated with a bachelor's in Art Education and a Master’s degree in Studio Arts at SACI College of Art & Design in Florence, my passion is about reaching to hearts and minds by transforming trash into art in a way that challenges our consumer’s behavior and the waste we generate. 

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If my main focus is on plastic pollution in Jordan's urban and natural environments (Wadis, seasides, deserts), the time I spent in Europe gave me the opportunity to design, build and document sensorial installations about other themes that are close to my heart such as feminism and the Arabic cultural identity. I have also had the chance to run art therapy programs for vulnerable communities in Greece. 

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Since I moved to  Jordan in 2019, I  have continued to create installations and art pieces for several gallery spaces and events using trash materials collected in the streets of Amman. Considering the trash crisis happening in the country and the insufficient responses to address it properly, I advocate today more than ever in Jordan and on social media for more responsible behaviors towards what we buy and how we dispose of it. 

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Over the years, I have developed a passion to teach and educate people through training and workshops about the social and environmental impacts of the over-consumption of plastics in general and single-use plastics in particular. 

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Combining art and education, I believe that any individual, family or community can explore how we can refuse, limit and reuse plastics.