Today on the show, we welcome the globally recognized and one of the most iconic and distinguished Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour who is well-known as a pioneer in Arab art with his exceptional and comprehensive portfolio revolving around the continued revival of Palestinian identity, as it captures images rooted in the land, its people, and its struggle against the occupation. Mansour is also an illustrator, art instructor and author and has contributed greatly to art education and promotion in the Palestinian territories and resides in the heart of occupied Jerusalem.
We discuss Mansour's childhood, having been born in Birzeit in 1947, a
year before the Palestinian Al Nakba, the catastrophe, and how that period shaped and inspired his passion for the arts.
We also discuss his recollections of having witnessed and lived through the 1967 day war and illegal occupation of the West Bank, that saw the displacement of hundreds of thousands of additional Palestinians, and how this tumultuous period resonated through his art and the evolution of his creative expression?
We delved into the contemporary art scene in central Europe and the lack of Levantine art representation both in museums and galleries in the West and Mansour's views on how Palestinian artists can penetrate Western art spaces and correct the narrative of our existence?
We discuss Mansour's role as a pivotal cultural leader that has contributed greatly toart education and promotion across the Palestinian territories and as co-founder of the Wasiti Art Center in Jerusalem and the state of the current state of the art scene across Palestine.
We delved into what Sliman hopes resonates with people who view his art vis a vis Palestine and ways to support emerging Palestinian artists, and Mansour's hope that new Palestinian artists choose to stay true to their identity through their art, that is rooted in our land, culture and heritage as a way to re-inforce our existence as Palestinians and showcase the beauty of our identity and culture to a global audience.
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