Ahmed Mansoor
Ahmed Mansoor is an engineer and member of the Human Rights Watch organization. He was one of the “UAE Five” who were arrested in 2011 for speaking out in opposition to the UAE government. Mansoor, in particular, was punished for signing a pro-democracy petition. The UAE Five eventually received a pardon after serving partial sentences, although Mansoor’s passport was revoked, and he cannot freely leave the UAE.
Since his release, Mansoor has continued to speak out against human rights abuses in his country. In 2015, he was selected as the Laureate for the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.
This portrait of Ahmed Mansoor takes its color scheme from the Emirati flag and is constructed using the flowing calligraphic lines characteristic of aniconic artwork.