Palestinian art is a term used to refer to artwork either originating from historic Palestine, as well as paintings, posters, installation art, costumes, and handcrafts produced by Palestinian artists in modern and contemporary times.

Similar to the structure of Palestinian society, the Palestinian art field extends over four main geographic centers: the modern-day nation of Palestine (consisting of the West Bank and Gaza Strip), Israel, the Palestinian diaspora in the Arab world, and Europe and the United States.

Contemporary Palestinian art finds its roots in folk art and traditional Christian and Islamic painting popular in Palestine over the ages. After the Nakba of 1948, nationalistic themes have predominated as Palestinian artists use diverse media to express and explore their connection to identity and land.

Palestinian artist and art historian Kamal Boullata describes "place" as one of the major thematic components of Palestinian art throughout its history. Proximity and distance from the historical Palestinian homeland and the relationship between the artist and his current place of residence is the key element moving Palestinian art. For example, in art produced during the first decades following 1948, works created by Palestinian artists living in Israel are largely figurative, whereas those created by artists living outside the country are largely abstract. Before 1948, Jerusalem was an important theme. After 1948, memory of place and distance from homeland became a central theme. Even Palestinian artists born and raised in Israel explore alienation and a sense of growing up as foreigners in the land of their ancestors. The question of cultural memory and belonging is a recurrent theme.

Nidaa Badwan is an artist from who created a beautiful space in her room where she could isolate herself and escape from reality of Gaza. She says living in a city where she "lost basic rights as a human being" inspired her to "create an alternative world" in her room. The self-portraits taken in that room during her period of retreat have won her international recognition. Alia Rayyan, director of the Al Hoash Gallery has said that Badwan is "talking about her own creation of the space, a dream actually, how life could be there, but this only works in combination with what happens outside".

Key iconic symbols are keys and doors. Likewise the cactus tree plays a prominent role. According to Palestinian artist and art historian Samia Halaby, "Liberation Art," or the art that resulted from the revolutionary period of Palestinian resistance that began in the late 1960s and continued through the First Intifada, "is symbolist, using images of things known to popular Palestinian culture – things that anyone experiencing Palestinian life could identify. The horse came to mean revolution. The flute came to mean the tune of the ongoing resistance. The wedding came to mean the entire Palestinian cause. The key came to mean the right of return. The sun came to mean freedom. The gun with a dove came to mean that peace would come after the struggle for liberation. Artists used the colors of the flag, patterns from embroidery, chains, etc. Village scenes, village dress, the prisoner, prison bars. There were special themes regarding the martyr. First there were generalized pictures of the martyr as well as pictures of specific individuals who had been killed by the Israelis. The second form was based on a popular practice of framing a collage of symbols representing the deceased's life then hanging it at their home or grave."

The Cactus (Arabic: الصبار) has been a motif in Palestinian art since the birth of Israel. For Zionists, the indigenous plant became a national symbol of their birth in the land, while Palestinians saw it as an incarnation of their national dispossession and exile (see, for example, the Arabic version of Sahar Khalifa's Wild Thorns, the Arabic title of which translates literally as Cactus). The plant served the practical function to designate territorial borders in peasant villages. In summer, the prickly pear was a common fruit eaten by people in the region. During the 1920s, the thorny tree was incorporated as a symbol of Israeli identity. Nicolas Saig painted the prickly pear as one of the pleasures of the era. The cactus has also become a symbol of Palestinian defiance and sumud. Villagers incorporated it into a dance song protesting the 1917 Balfour Declaration with the phrase "Ya'ayn kuni subbara - O eye, be a cactus tree!".

The Dove (Arabic: الحمامة) is a commonly used symbol in Palestinian art. Artists use the Dove to convey a message of peace, freedom, and a future following the suffering that Palestinians have experienced. The Dove is known for its soft and peaceful shape, reflecting a gentle nature. The dove, with its serene form, tranquil color, gentle demeanor, and softness, stands as the most fitting symbol to convey this message. Artists depict the symbolism of the dove in various ways, employing different techniques and compositions to convey their intended message to the world. Often, it is intertwined with other symbols and incorporated into diverse artistic compositions.