The exhibition titled 'Artist of the Suffering Land' has opened at the Aali Art Bureau Gallery in Tehran. The exposition features works by the renowned Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour, whose creative output is closely linked to the history, self-awareness, and aspirations of the Palestinian people.
The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Mansour, who passed away in August at the age of 79. It showcases his artistic legacy through pieces that reflect his long involvement in Palestinian culture, land, and people.
The opening ceremony was attended by Nasser Abu Sharif, a representative of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Tehran; Mohammad Zarui Nasrabad, Director of the Nam Institute of Culture and Arts; Mohsen Momeni-Sharif, Kamyar Sadeghi, Hossein Ayini-Bakhsh, Saber Sheikh Rezaei, and Hossein Esmati, who viewed the exhibited works.
Born in 1947 in Birzeit, near Ramallah, Mansour became one of the leading figures in modern Palestinian art. Starting in the 1970s, he developed his unique visual language based on Palestinian landscapes, rural life, and cultural traditions, addressing themes of resistance, memory, displacement, and attachment to the homeland.
In the exhibition statement, Mansour is described as a storyteller of both the suffering and the hopes of Palestine. It is asserted that painting became his way of narrating the story of his land and people from an early age. His works did not merely depict hardship and exile but also emphasized 'hope, resilience, growth, and resistance.'
The statement also highlights the significance of Palestinian cultural symbols in Mansour's paintings, including the keffiyeh, abaya, embroidered clothing, olive trees, oranges, rural landscapes, and the colors of the Palestinian flag.
Mansour's artistic practice was heavily influenced by the living conditions of Palestinians. During the First Intifada, he was among the artists associated with the 'New Vision' group, which called on Palestinian masters to reject materials produced in Israel and use local, natural resources. Consequently, clay, straw, wood, leather, henna, and natural pigments became part of Mansour's artistic lexicon.
During the exhibition opening, art researcher and event curator Mohammadreza Vahidzadeh noted the significance of Mansour's use of clay. He recalled that the artist applied clay to canvases, observing how it cracked and deteriorated over time. Initially, this process distressed Mansour, but later he realized that these cracks and decay could reflect the experience of the Palestinian people.
Vahidzadeh explained that 'he came to understand how much this decay and cracking is intertwined with the nature and destiny of the Palestinian people,' adding that this process could become a way to depict their situation. He also stressed Mansour's enduring importance in contemporary Palestinian art, noting that despite sanctions, the use of low-quality materials, works that never returned home, and vibrant life, his paintings have maintained influence and helped shape the visual identity of modern Palestinians.
Vahidzadeh stated: 'If anyone wants to engage with the life of modern Palestinians, they inevitably must turn to the works of Sliman Mansour.' He described Mansour not only as one of Palestine's most important artistic and cultural figures but also as a significant figure in global contemporary art.
Among Mansour's most famous works is 'Jamal al-Mahamel' ('Camel of Hardships'), painted in 1973. This work depicts an elderly Palestinian porter carrying a heavy load that contains an image of Al-Quds and the Dome of the Rock, becoming one of the most recognizable images associated with Palestinian visual culture.
The exhibition statement describes this broader legacy as Mansour's visual heritage 'remaining alive in the cultural memory of Palestine' and in the history of contemporary art in the region and the world. The exhibition 'Artist of the Suffering Land' will run until October 14th at the Aali Art Bureau Gallery. It is open to visitors from Saturday to Wednesday, from 9 am to 6 pm. The gallery is located at the Art Bureau on Somayeh Street, near Hafez Street.