Issam Bader (born 1948 in Hebron, Palestine) was a leading Palestinian painter, ceramicist, and art educator whose work helped shape the modern art movement in Palestine. He graduated from the Fine Arts Academy in Baghdad in 1973 and later earned a Master’s degree in Ceramics from the Tbilisi Academy of Fine Arts in Georgia in the early 1980s.
Issam Bader’s artistic practice combined painting and ceramics, often drawing on geometric folk forms and stylized natural elements that reflect Palestinian heritage and lived experience. He was a co-founder of the Association of Palestinian Artists in the 1970s and played a central role in establishing Gallery 79 in Al-Bireh, an important cultural space at the time.
Beyond his studio work, Issam Bader contributed to art education and public art projects, including murals and cultural initiatives across the West Bank. His work was exhibited in solo and group exhibitions locally and internationally. He passed away in Ramallah in November 2003, leaving a lasting impact on Palestinian visual culturee.
Portrait of Issam Bader, by another artist.