Sliman Mansour will be guiding our wonderful community in the process and journey of creating our new brand logo and symbol, which will signify the Kufiya and its last producer, Hirbawi. So, we thought why not use this opportunity to share more with you about Mr Mansour?
Upbringing & Influence
Sliman Mansour’s art has epitomized the beauty and struggle of Palestinian life. Born in 1947 in the town of Birzeit, he grew up in Bethlehem and Jerusalem at the dawn of the occupation. His childhood experiences left a significant mark on his work, heightening a sense of gradual loss in Palestine.
His art reflects the hopes and realities of a Palestinians living under occupation for the better part of a century. Since the early 70s, he has translated his experiences of isolation, displacement, community, and rootedness using imagery and symbols that have contributed to the development of an iconography of the Palestinian struggle.
Symbolism of Palestinian Resistance
With women wearing traditional embroidered dresses, he represents Palestinian land and the Palestinian revolution. With images of Jerusalem, and the glistening Dome of the Rock, he represents the Palestinian homeland and the dream of return. Such images were popularized in direct defiance of Israeli military authorities, who frequently confiscated Palestinian artwork, posters, flags, and closed exhibitions and galleries.
After the first intifada, Sliman Mansour together with fellow Palestinian artists, founded the New Visions movement in 1987 – calling on artists to boycott Israeli art supplies and instead use local natural materials such as coffee, henna, clay… Mud was the tool of choice for Mr Mansour. Until today, every pigment of his art expresses I kind of resistance.
Sliman Mansour & the Hirbawi New Logo
For the next month, Sliman Mansour has been kind enough to agree to help us at Hirbawi choose a new brand logo designed by our community members, as a symbol of the Palestinian kufiya, and its last producer in Palestine. After speaking with Mr Mansour, he agreed that he would assist us in supervising the design of our new logo, by advising us in choosing the right design for Hirbawi.
Many of you who have submitted some incredible sketches and drawings already, will have your art examined and studied by Mr Mansour in December.
Help us protect Palestinian culture and the symbol of our national heritage, through the design of our new logo. We will be posting many of our favourite submissions on our Instagram @Hirbawi
We can’t wait to see where this artistic journey takes us 🙂
