Sliman Mansour: Palestinian Art Giant

A Legacy Remembered

Sliman Mansour, a Palestinian artist and educator, died Monday in Jerusalem at 79. His death prompted reflections from fellow artist Samia Halaby, who shares memories of his influence. Halaby recalls attending a presentation by Mansour in New York during the late 1970s, when he introduced the new art of the Intifada. The event was part of a self-directed project to connect artists inside and outside the occupied West Bank after 1967, when the borders between “Palestine48” and the West Bank opened.

Artistic Innovation During the Intifada

Mansour’s work was marked by a love of Palestine and innate leadership. He was a teacher, a mentor, and a visual reflection of love for the land and culture. He helped found the Union of Palestinian Artists, which later became part of the Union of Arab Artists. The Union’s branch in Jerusalem was unanimously and internationally labeled the central branch, located in the beloved city of Al Quds. When the Intifada began, the Union took a position in the late 1980s to boycott Israeli art supplies and explored traditional Palestinian and village crafts. Mansour experimented with clay and hay mixtures used in village open-air ovens. Others in his circle, such as Nabil Anani, brought leather from Hebron to use as a painting base. Tayseer Barakat turned henna into a water-based medium, while Vera Tamari focused on ceramics. These new media sparked impressive aesthetic modes that reflected a population in revolutionary motion.

Al-Wasiti Art Center and International Reach

In 1994, Mansour established the al-Wasiti Art Center in Jerusalem with a nucleus group of artists: Anani, Barakat, and Tamari. The center became a place for Palestinian artists exiled worldwide to return to a fountain of unity and belonging. It was named in honor of the 13th-century Iraqi artist Yahya ibn Muhammad al-Wasiti. At the center, Mansour invited Halaby to write about the art of the Intifada, leading to her first publication on Palestinian art in Japan and later her book, Liberation Art of Palestine, published in 2003. The exhibition “Made in Palestine” at the Station Museum in Houston, Texas, in 2003 featured Mansour’s works I Ismail (1997) and Garden of Hope (2002), both made in clay.

Iconic Works

Mansour’s paintings are celebrated for their symbolism and direct address to the Palestinian people. UN Relief (1984) depicts a mother and child kneeling at the edge of a desert highway, with a donkey in the background and a highway sign pointing to Egypt. In an interview, Mansour explained that the “650 M” sign might refer to a UN resolution, and that the loaf of bread on the mother’s lap symbolizes the minimal aid given in exchange for the loss of homeland.

The Village Awakens (1988) celebrates the Intifada’s awakening, featuring a woman dominating the panel and a population of craftspeople spilling into the land. The Last Supper (1986) shows villagers sitting cross-legged on a rug under a grapevine arbor, with Christ portrayed as a Palestinian sharing bread.

The Union of Palestinian Artists operated like a standings table for artists denied travel, while Mansour’s 1997 series I Ismail was displayed alongside a stats of the number of panels. The al-Wasiti Art Center also served as a hub, similar to a fixtures arena for creative collaboration. Mansour’s legacy endures in the visual language he helped create, and his influence continues to inspire artists and educators alike.