“I am emotionally motivated to be creative and to contribute to humanity,” said Hanna Jubran, the creator of Haddonfield’s striking “Unity” sculpture. The 700-pound abstract work, crafted from 1/8 inch weathered steel sheets, stands prominently on Kings Highway, across from the PATCO station.
According to Jubran, the sculpture “takes the shape and form of a process by which a circle and organic forms physically change and develop inside the structure, involving growth and abrupt changes.”
“I incorporate recognizable, geometric, and organic forms that invite contemplation and slowly reveal the content of the sculpture,” Jubran explained. “This work is an expression of universal concepts of life and industry since the beginning of time. It expresses the universe from the micro to the macro. The interplay of shapes, forms, spaces, and colors change with the time of day and as you move around the piece.” Through the interplay between nature and sculpture, he aims to condense time and space.
Jubran hopes that observers can “transcend the formal qualities of the object and freely engage in its intrinsic meaning through symbols, metaphors, and abstraction,” he said via email.
Joe Sikora, president of Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust’s executive committee and of Haddonfield landscape architecture firm Sikora Wells Appel, praised the sculpture as “a beautiful interpretive piece that enhances the walkability” of the area.
A professor of sculpture at East Carolina School of Art and Design in Greenville, North Carolina since 1994, Jubran holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. His work often explores the concepts of time, movement, balance, and space.
Hanna Jubran, creator of Haddonfield’s striking “Unity” sculpture, hopes that observers can “transcend the formal qualities” of
the structure and “freely engage in its intrinsic meaning through symbols, metaphors, and abstraction.”
Jubran and his wife, sculptor Jodi Hollnagel-Jubran, operate J&H Studio Inc. in Grimesland, North Carolina. Travel is integral to his life: “I move my sculptures frequently for outdoor exhibitions across the eastern U.S.,” he said, noting that his work is usually featured in outdoor exhibitions 20 or more times a year.
He also brings extensive international experience, having created works for major sculpture symposiums and biennials in Argentina, Latvia, Germany, Finland, Mexico, Israel, Cuba, Canada, Lithuania, and Japan, where he won a semi-grand prize at the Toyamura International Sculpture Biennial. The pieces typically becomes a permanent part of the host community’s collection.
Born in Jish, in Israel’s Upper Galilee, Jubran developed an interest in three-dimensional art during his high school years in Nazareth — a passion that has guided decades of work across continents.
“The nature of my goals for art is to reflect my aesthetic views, concepts, and sincerity of expression,” he said. “My sculpture is based on my own creative imagination. I hope my sculpture will, in turn, inspire people in both the arts and sciences.”
