SLIMAN MANSOUR

Sliman Mansour is one of the most illustrious and renowned artists in Palestine. His style embodies steadfastness in the face of relentless military occupation. His work – which has become the symbol of Palestinian national identity – has inspired generations of Palestinians and international artists and activists. Born in 1947, Mansour spent his childhood among the green hills and fields of Birzeit – where he was born – and later his adolescence in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. His early experiences left a significant mark on his work, heightening a sense of progressive loss in Palestine, especially after the occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem in 1967. His early experiences also offered him the symbols and images that he would later use to preserve and highlight the Palestinian identity.  Using symbols derived from Palestinian life, culture, history and tradition, Mansour uniquely illustrates the determination and connection of Palestinians to their land. His pieces embody art as a form of resistance. With the orange trees he represents the land lost during the Nakba of 1948. With the olive trees he represents the land occupied in 1967. With the women wearing traditional embroidered clothing, he represents the Palestinian land and the Palestinian revolution. With the landscape of Palestine and its stone terraces, he represents the mark of Palestinian farmers on the land. With images of Jerusalem and the glittering Dome of the Rock, he represents the Palestinian homeland and the dream of return.  Each thoub in the exhibition is accompanied by a ground panel with a brief description and a painting reproduction, produced by Mansour, that represents the daily life of Palestinian women wearing their embroidered thoub/garment.