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Palestinian artist Suleiman Mansour dies at 79 in East Jerusalem
Palestinian artist Suleiman Mansour, who kept Palestinian culture and history alive through his works, died at the age of 79 at Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem, where he was receiving treatment. Mansour was among the leading figures of modern Palestinian art and received numerous local and international awards.
Suleiman Mansour, one of the leading figures of modern Palestinian art, died at the age of 79 at Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem, where he had been receiving treatment for some time.
Mansour was born in 1947 in the town of Birzeit, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. He brought the homeland, history and collective memory of the Palestinian people into his art. The artist shaped his work using symbols drawn from Palestinian culture, history and tradition.
He conveyed Palestinian memory through art
Viewing art as a form of resistance, Mansour said he wanted his works to show the value Palestinians place on their land and the beauty of Palestine. In an interview in 2024, he described Jerusalem as the symbol of Palestine and the Dome of the Rock as the symbol of Jerusalem.
Mansour contributed to the formation of the visual identity of the Palestinian resistance. He used his art as a means of passing memory and the Palestinian cause on to future generations.
“Camel of Hardships” gained worldwide recognition
The artist’s 1973 painting “Camel of Hardships” brought him worldwide recognition. The work depicts an elderly Palestinian man crushed beneath the heavy load on his back. Within the load is a large eye figure in which Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock can be seen.
Mansour personified Palestine as a tired and lonely elderly man. In his works, he highlighted the orange tree as a symbol of the 1948 Nakba, the olive tree representing the 1967 war, traditional Palestinian embroidery motifs, daily life in villages and Palestinian women.
He taught and received numerous awards
Mansour studied the plastic arts at the Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem and also worked as a professional cartoonist. From the 1970s onward, the artist contributed to the formation of visual symbols associated with the Palestinian struggle.
Mansour taught art at numerous cultural institutions and universities in the West Bank, including Birzeit University.
The artist received hundreds of local and international awards, including the Rome Prize, the UNESCO Award, the Nile Award for Arab Creators and the Palestinian Plastic Arts Award.
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