Ismail Shammout

Ismail Abdul-Qader Shammout 1930-2006 1930 Born in the city of Lydda, Palestine. 1948 Forced to abandon his birthplace and take refuge in a refugee camp in Khan-Younes, Gaza Strip. 1950 Enrolled in the College of Fine Arts in Cairo. 1953 Set up his first exhibition in the town of Gaza, (29th July 1953) the first exhibition ever to be held by a Palestinian artist in Palestine (his brother, Jamil, took part in this exhibition). 1954 Opened his major exhibition in Cairo,with the participation of the Palestinian artist Tamam Aref Al-Akhal, a colleague then, and currently his wife. The exhibition was sponsored and inaugurated by Egyptian President Jamal Abdul-Nasser, on the 21st July 1954. Moved to Italy and joined the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. 1956 Moved to Beirut, Lebanon, where he lived and worked in various artistic and cultural endeavors. 1959 Married his artist colleague, Mss. Tamam Al-Akhal. 1965 Joined the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), as Director of Arts and National Culture. 1969 Elected as first Secretary General, Union of Palestinian Artists. 1971 Elected as first Secretary General, Union of Arab Artists. 1983 Moved from Beirut to Kuwait with his family, following the Israeli aggression against the PLO in Lebanon. 1992 Moved to Cologne, Germany, following the Gulf war. 1994 Settled in Amman, Jordan, where the artist currently resides. Ismail Shammout has the following publications: - The Young Artist, Beirut (1957), Arabic. - Palestine, Illustrated Political History, Beirut (1972), various languages. - Palestinian National Art, Beirut (1978), various languages. - Palestine in Perspective, Beirut (1978), Arabic & English. - Art in Palestine, Kuwait (1989), Arabic & English.