Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour dies at 79

Sliman Mansour, a towering figure in contemporary Palestinian art, has passed away at the age of 79. His family announced his death on August 24, 2026, via a verified Instagram account, without specifying the cause.

Born in 1947 in Birzeit, near Ramallah, Mansour's artistic journey began against the backdrop of the Nakba. Over more than five decades, his prolific work forged a visual language for the Palestinian experience. He masterfully combined symbols from collective memory, such as keys, olive trees, and doves, with poignant portrayals of the daily struggle of a people living under occupation and displacement.

Mansour graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem in 1970. He directed the Palestinian Artists League from 1986 to 1990, supporting local artists and organizing exhibitions. In 1987, he co-founded the New Visions movement. His 1988 series depicted four Palestinian villages destroyed in the 1948 war. Following the First Intifada, he was arrested, and some of his works were confiscated for using the colors of the Palestinian flag, which was then illegal under Israeli law.

In 1994, he co-founded the Al-Wasiti Art Center in East Jerusalem to preserve Palestinian art and connect artists within Palestine with those in exile. He also served on the founding council of the International Art Academy of Palestine in Ramallah. Mansour's legacy, reflecting the losses and hopes of a people under occupation for nearly a century, is etched in the silent eloquence of Palestinian struggle iconography.