Palestinian Art: Five Artists Who Shaped a Visual Language

Many of the images people now link with Palestine, from the olive tree to the key and the barefoot boy with his back turned, were shaped by a handful of artists. Here are five names worth knowing.

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Sliman Mansour

Sliman Mansour's 1973 painting Camel of Hardships shows an old porter carrying Jerusalem on his back. Reproduced on countless posters, it became one of the most recognisable images in Palestinian art. Later, when some materials were hard to get, he worked with mud, clay and henna.

Ismail Shammout and Tamam al-Akhal

Ismail Shammout, born in Lydda in 1930, painted the experience of 1948 and exile. His wife Tamam al-Akhal, born in Jaffa, was a painter too, and together they created a series of large murals telling the Palestinian story, shown in cities around the world.

Nabil Anani

Nabil Anani is known for colourful landscapes of villages and hills, and for working with natural materials such as leather and henna. In 1980 he was one of the artists whose exhibition in Ramallah was closed down, an episode tied to the story of the watermelon symbol.

Naji al-Ali

The cartoonist Naji al-Ali created Handala, the ten-year-old refugee boy who turns his back on the viewer. Naji al-Ali was shot in London in 1987 and died weeks later; the case has never been solved. Handala remains one of the most widely drawn figures in the region.

Seeing Palestinian art in London

The Mosaic Rooms in west London regularly shows contemporary Arab and Palestinian artists, and exhibitions and talks there are a good place to start. Our Palestine Hope, Art by Moh and Palestine Wall designs bring that poster-art language onto everyday clothing.

FAQ

Who is the most famous Palestinian artist?

Sliman Mansour is among the best known, especially for his 1973 painting Camel of Hardships. Naji al-Ali, creator of Handala, is also widely known.

What is Camel of Hardships?

It is a 1973 painting by Sliman Mansour showing an old porter carrying Jerusalem on his back, and one of the most reproduced images in Palestinian art.