Artists and cultural figures have paid tribute to Sliman Mansour, one of the most influential creatives in contemporary Palestinian art, after his death at the age of 79.
The painter and sculptor, born in Birzeit, spent more than five decades chronicling Palestinian identity, displacement and resistance.
His works became some of the most enduring images of the Palestinian experience.
Mansour's family announced his death on Monday, saying he had left behind “a life filled with beauty, memory, and a legacy that will continue to live through all those he touched”.
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, the Emirati writer, researcher and founder of Barjeel Art Foundation, said the world had “lost a giant of modern Arab art”.
“Few other artists illustrated Palestinian life as Sliman Mansour did, whether it is the olive tree or the spirit of resilience or the beauty of Palestinian life and culture,” Al Qassemi told The National.
“Sliman was part of a group of Palestinian artists who, in the wake of the First Intifada of the 1980s, defied Israeli restrictions on Palestinian life by adapting the materials they used to make art, switching from oil on canvas to locally sourced materials. He became known for his works using mud and straw. Using earth to make art was, for Sliman, also a reflection of Palestinian connectedness to their homeland.
“Sliman captured a universal Palestinian spirit. His artworks are also among the most recognisable in the Arab world, even for people who aren't very interested or knowledgeable about art.”
The artist worked from within Palestine and witnessed the harshness of the occupation on a daily basis, Al Qassemi added.
“His paintings captured this reality, but more importantly they offered symbols of perseverance to all Palestinians,” he said.
“Sliman's figurative style was immediately recognised by all Palestinians and was adapted into posters, T-shirts, tattoos and mobile phone wallpapers. When Palestinians wanted an image of love, life or resilience, it's very likely that they'd opt for a painting by Sliman Mansour.”
Palestinian artist and Dubai resident Hazem Harb recalled growing up with Mansour’s images in Gaza before later exhibiting alongside him in Dubai.
“Growing up in Gaza, Sliman Mansour's work profoundly influenced my understanding of identity, heritage and resistance. His visual language, rich in symbolism and deeply rooted in our Palestinian culture, provided a lens through which I could explore my own experiences and the collective narrative of my people,” he said.
“Exhibiting alongside Sliman in El Beit in 2018 at Tabari Art Space was a significant moment for me. I will always remember his eagerness to share insights about art and life and his support for my work.
“He approached his art with a profound sense of responsibility, viewing it not just as a personal expression but as a means to honour the collective memory of our people.”
Ziad Anani, founder and director of Zawyeh Gallery, which most recently presented Mansour’s work at Abu Dhabi Art in November 2025, said the artist played an important role in defining the visual language of modern Palestinian art.
“Sliman was one of the artists who played an important role in defining the visual language of modern Palestinian art. His work was deeply rooted in the land, memory and everyday life of the Palestinians, but at the same time it spoke universally about belonging, displacement and resilience,” he said.
“Whether he was painting Jerusalem and the olive tree fields or later working with mud and other natural materials, he continually found new ways to express the same questions of identity, belonging, memory and resistance.”
Zawyeh Gallery also paid tribute to Mansour on social media, saying his influence extended far beyond his own practice.
“His work became an essential part of Palestinian visual memory, giving enduring form to the relationship between the Palestinian people and their homeland,” the statement said.
“His influence extended far beyond his own practice, leaving a profound mark on generations of artists and on the Palestinian and Arab art scene. With his passing, we lose a towering figure, but the legacy he leaves behind will remain deeply embedded in the history and memory of Palestinian art.”
Curator Malu Halasa, who included two of Mansour’s works in the 2025 London exhibition Art of the Palestinian Poster, described him as a “pillar of Palestinian modern art”.
“Art as resistance is key to truly understanding the long and hard political struggle of the Palestinian people. But one shouldn’t talk about Sliman Mansour’s art only through a political and activist prism,” she said.
“His artwork and imagery embodied Palestinian culture, history, aesthetics and family life. He did this while facing a concerted effort by the Israelis to erase and eradicate his people throughout his long life.
“The struggle goes on today, but we have been able to gain a deep understanding of Palestinian culture and emotion because of this artist’s amazing work.”
Renowned Iraqi sculptor Ahmed Al Bahrani also posted a tribute on social media, calling Mansour “a great teacher”.
“An artist of conviction and a cause, who painted his homeland while never leaving it,” Al Barani posted in Arabic. “He did not paint it from afar. Rather, his works were a part of him, carried with him like a wound that never healed. He remained faithful to that, dedicating all his art to championing his people. He turned his colours and his art into an act of resistance, and his paintings came to embody the cause of a people who resist and will never be defeated.”
The Palestine Museum said the community had lost “a beloved face of Palestine and one of those who, over decades, taught us how to see it”.
“Throughout his life, Sliman Mansour continued to paint this land and carry it with him – its land and its people, its villages and cities, its olive trees, homes and faces. Palestine was not so much the subject of his work as it was its purpose. Over the decades, his paintings became one of the ways through which we preserved the country and imagined it,” the Palestine Museum posted.
Palestinian artist Dima Srouji described Mansour as an amazing person and teacher who “served Palestine his entire life through his art”.
“Palestine is indebted to his practice,” she said on Instagram. “His images became a channel that helped us connect our bodies to the land. They spoke especially to those in the diaspora who carried Palestine with them through his paintings.”
Mansour’s funeral will take place at 5pm on Wednesday, August 26, at the St Peter’s Church in his hometown of Birzeit. Condolences will be received after the burial, at the town's Grand Hall until 9pm.
Further condolence gatherings will be held at The Palestinian Museum in Birzeit on Thursday from 4pm to 9pm, and at the Terra Sancta Pastoral Centre in Beit Hanina, Jerusalem, on Friday during the same hours.
