Until He’s Back by Ismail Shammout

Shammout always made it a point to never cease depicting the Palestinian exodus in his work. Living under harsh conditions and haunting experiences, as a child he was forced to flee from his home during the Nakba of 1948 and traveled on foot to settle in a refugee camp. He documented that march of death, exhaustion, and thirst in several paintings executed in the 1950s. In his works, the struggle of living under occupation is highlighted with forlorn figures resting in darkness or clinging to one another while they journey across barren land. His own memories of displacement and death are infused with his paintings, depicting the struggle of Palestinians with dark shadows that speak of loss, and children who sit alone in contemplation. Shammout’s works can be regarded as iconic for the Palestinian people. It visually symbolized the very struggles and experiences living under occupation, showcasing not only the memories he carried but for those who are currently living under it to this day.