Palestinian Artist Sliman Mansour Dies at 79
The painter known for works such as Camel of Hardship, a defining figure in contemporary Palestinian art for more than five decades, has died in Jerusalem.
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Sliman Mansour, one of the most influential figures in contemporary Palestinian art, died on 24 August 2026 at the age of 79.
His family announced the death through his verified social media accounts. No cause was publicly disclosed. He had been reported in critical condition earlier.
Born in 1947 in Birzeit near Ramallah, Mansour grew up in the years surrounding the Nakba. He studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem and spent more than five decades producing paintings, sculptures and writings that addressed land, identity, displacement and steadfastness.
His 1973 work Camel of Hardship, depicting an elderly man bent under a burden containing the city of Jerusalem, became one of the most recognised images associated with Palestinian experience. Other recurring motifs in his work include olive trees, keys, traditional embroidery and scenes of daily life under occupation.
Mansour co-founded the New Visions movement in 1987 and served as director of the League of Palestinian Artists from 1986 to 1990. He taught at institutions including Al-Quds University and received awards such as the Rome Prize, a UNESCO prize, the Nile Award for Arab Creators and the Palestine Prize for Plastic Arts.
He worked from a studio in Ramallah and remained active into his later years. His family described him as leaving a life filled with beauty and memory, while for them he was a father and source of strength.
Funeral and memorial details were to be announced later. Mansour’s body of work continues to be referenced as a visual language for Palestinian identity and resilience.