Sliman Mansour, Pioneer Of Palestinian Art, Dies At 79

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Sliman Mansour, an artist widely recognized as a foundational figure in contemporary Palestinian visual art, passed away on Monday, August 24, at the age of 79. His funeral took place on Wednesday, August 26, at the Anglican Church in his hometown of Birzeit in the occupied West Bank, as confirmed by an Instagram post from his family.

Mansour is celebrated for his role in shaping a distinctive Palestinian visual identity. Tributes have been shared by numerous figures and organizations, including the UK- and Ramallah-based A.M. Qattan Foundation, which supports culture and education across Palestine and the Arab world. The foundation noted on Instagram that Mansour's art was intrinsically linked to the Palestinian people, their land, and memory, and that he had been instrumental in elevating Palestinian art on both regional and global platforms.

Basel El-Maqosui, co-founder of the Shababeek Group for Contemporary Art in Gaza, also honored Mansour, describing him as a leading pioneer of the Palestinian visual art movement. El-Maqosui emphasized that Mansour's work articulated the suffering of the Palestinian people and their quest for freedom and independence. El-Maqosui stated:“He left a clear mark on the journey of Palestinian visual art and his works will remain a testament to his genius and creativity.”

Born in Birzeit in 1947, Mansour's early life was profoundly shaped by the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the forced expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians, an event known as the Nakba. He initially intended to study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, but the 1967 events, when Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights, altered his plans. Fearing he would be unable to return to Jerusalem, he decided to stay and study at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.

These experiences and his perception of a deliberate erasure of Palestinian identity deeply influenced his artistic practice. In 1973, Mansour co-founded the League of Palestinian Artists, the first official Palestinian art body, which organized exhibitions in public spaces to advocate for national liberation. That same year, at the age of 26, he created one of his most iconic works, Jamal al-Mahamel (Camel of Hardships), depicting an old porter carrying Jerusalem, symbolizing the Palestinian homeland and the dream of return. Palestinian landscapes and symbols became central to his oeuvre.

In 1987, during the First Intifada, Mansour, along with artists Vera Tamari, Tayseer Barakat, and Nabil Anani, established the New Visions group. This collective pursued cultural resistance by creating art using local materials like mud, straw, wood, and natural dyes, in solidarity with boycotts against Israeli products. The group later founded the al-Wasiti Art Center in Jerusalem in 1994, after Israel eased restrictions on Palestinian cultural institutions, according to an interview with Mansour. The center became a significant venue for Palestinian art and workshops.

Mansour dedicated decades to working with, mentoring, and inspiring generations of Palestinian artists. In 2024, despite declining health, he created On the Wing of an Angel, a 12m by 6m mural for the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit. This clay, straw, and henna work, created with assistance from artist Al-Aziz Atef and volunteers from Birzeit University, is now part of the museum's permanent collection.

Amer Shomali, director general of the Palestinian Museum and an artist who attended Mansour's funeral, highlighted Mansour's profound connection to the land, particularly to olive, fig, and pine trees. Shomali recounted Mansour's frequent visits to his studio a decade ago to eat figs from a tree outside, offering blunt yet often encouraging feedback on Shomali's art. Mansour's deep connection to the land was epitomized by his sole request for his work On the Wing of an Angel: that a fig tree be planted in the museum's garden in his name.

Shomali also recalled that while Mansour's work was often academically analyzed for its composition and art-historical references, the artist himself prioritized the emotional impact on viewers. Shomali said:“For him it was about how to get all of this history of art and all of those references and all of those details to make the artwork accessible and easy to be understood and felt by the average Palestinian.”

Mansour's creative output also included illustrations, books, and cartoons. He received several accolades, including the 2019 Unesco-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture. His works are held in notable international collections, such as the British Museum in London, Qatar's Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. Memorial events for the artist, including a tribute at the Palestinian Museum on Thursday, August 27, continued throughout the week.

We previously reported:

Palestinian painter Sliman Mansour, who documented his country's fight for liberation for over six decades, died in Jerusalem on August 24, 2026, at 79.

Source: The Art Newspaper

MENAFN28082026005694012507ID1111592921