Palestinian Artist Samia Halaby: Following Exhibition Cancellations to International Acclaim

One could say it was a stroke of luck to emerge from a conversation with this pioneering abstract painter unscathed. Not only due to the precarious wooden stairs leading to her Manhattan studio, but because some view the 88-year-old abstract innovator as a potential security risk.

Artistic Censorship

Last winter, a major US university scrapped what was scheduled as the first major US retrospective of Halaby’s work. The retrospective had been three years in development, yet the artist was notified via a terse two-sentence letter from the museum director citing unspecified safety issues. She believes the underlying cause was the gallery’s attempt to avoid association from support for Palestine following the events of October 7.

Almost a year afterward, Michigan State University abruptly canceled the launch party for another retrospectives and removed a painting titled Heroes in Gold, which highlighted the breakout of inmates.

Vindication or Polarization?

Currently, in the aftermath of being censored, the artist is being honored with the 2025 Munch Award for artistic freedom. Would she call this vindication?

Hardly, the artist notes in her studio. What we’re seeing is division. The people who were always supportive remained that way. Nobody has altered, everyone has intensified their stance.”

She emphasizes that it was not the academic community that rejected her, but the leadership—perhaps influenced by government pressure. In the recent years, activism on campuses faced widespread censorship.

Still, the artist is genuinely thrilled to be granted the accolade, notably since it originates in Norway—a government recognized for its consistent support with the Palestinian cause.

“The British you may divide into the beautiful people holding signs leading to their arrest, and the administration.”

On Displacement and Identity

Hailing from historic Palestine in the late 1930s, Halaby fled to another country during the catastrophe of 1948. Though she has returned to her hometown multiple times, the artist cannot resettle due to legal barriers.

“I would have to be on a guest status,” she explains, “leaving me at the whim of the authorities. There’s always a chance they’d cancel it at any time.”

A Disciplined Approach

Instead of creating art from inner turmoil, she treats art as a craft rooted in optics and method. I research the physics of illumination, the physiology of the eye,” she states. People that think art is just personal release are incorrect.”

Halaby contends that viewers appreciate her pieces because they see the reality they live in reflected in them.

A Broader View

When asked about contemporary political figures and artistic liberty, she recommends thinking on a broader scale:

“When one look at centuries of human events, one understands that a figure such as a certain leader is comparable to a pest on a large animal. It hurts—as the insect is in control making a mess. Yet there is much more we are part of.”

Despite challenges, Halaby remains forward-looking, devoted to her art and the enduring value of free speech in a divided world.