Aïcha Snoussi (Arabic: عائشة سنوسي, born 1989) is a Tunisian queer artist from Hammamet.

Biography

Snoussi was born in Tunis in 1989 and she began drawing at a very young age.[1] She studied Fine Art at the Institut Supérieur des Beaux-Arts in Tunis, then studied for an MA in Fine Art at Paris-Sorbonne.[2] She currently lives and works in Paris.[3] Initially Snoussi trained as an engraver, but currently works in ink and paint, creating large-scale pieces of work reminiscent of Hieronymous Bosch or Georges Bataille.[4] She is outspoken about the bias against women and people of colour within the art world.[5] She was invited to speak on art and feminism at the Pompidou Centre in 2019.[6]

Exhibitions

In 2017, Snoussi's work was shown in the Art Paris contemporary fair, which showcased many artists from across Africa.[7] She exhibited her body of work Le Livre des anomalies, which is an extensive narrative of illustrations drawn into faded exercise books.[7] These works invited visitors to add to them and Snoussi is interested in breaking down the division in gallery space between artist and viewer.[8] Snoussi's 2016 exhibition at the Tunisian Embsassy in London, explored the monstrous and featured large-scale illustration drawn directly to the embassy walls in red.[9] Sexuality and the body is an important part of Snoussi's work, which is defined by its intertwining of the themes of science and mysticism.[10][11] Paper is treated like abused skin through cutting, puncturing and drawing.[2] She has exhibited her work consistently since 2013, with exhibitions, amongst others, in: Climbing through the Tide (Tunis, 2019),[12] Galerie LaLalande (Paris, 2019),[3] Art Brussels (2018),[13] Somerset House (London, 2017),[14] Platform Parallel (Tunis, 2016),[15] Cité Internationale des arts (Paris, 2015),[3] Jazz Festival (Carthage, 2014),[16] Galerie Yahia (Tunis, 2013).[3]

LGBTQ* Art in Tunisia

Snoussi's queer identity is also important in the expression of her work.[17] She explores how the monstrous visions in her work relate to create queer alternatives to the authoritarian Tunisian state.[18] In 2019, she was one of thirteen artists chosen to exhibit in Paris to mark International Day Against Homophobia.[19] Her mix of monstrosity and queerness acts to confound Tunisian traditional values.[20] Queerness only emerged in women's art in Tunisia in the 2010s and Snoussi is at the forefront of its development.[20]

References

  1. ↑ Loveartandexhibitions (2019-02-25). "Undefined Scrolls: Aïcha Snoussi". LOVE ART + EXHIBITIONS. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  2. 1 2 "Aïcha Snoussi – A.GORGI". Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "BIO". Tumblr. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  4. ↑ "1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair". Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  5. ↑ "La Poudre: L'art & La Poudre #2 - À Beaubourg sur Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  6. ↑ "Suivez en direct Lauren Bastide & La Poudre - Centre Pompidou". www.centrepompidou.fr. Archived from the original on 2019-12-19. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  7. 1 2 isabelwilcox (2017-05-22). "Spring in Paris and London: Market fever for Contemporary African art". Happening Africa. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  8. ↑ "Aïcha Snoussi : quand le dessin réinvente les sexes de l'art". Nawaat. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  9. ↑ "Tunisia Talents". nataal.com. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  10. ↑ "Aïcha Snoussi". IDEO (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  11. ↑ Zyla, Noémie (2017-09-29). "Aïcha Snoussi, la face cachée de la beauté". FDT (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  12. ↑ dit, ALBERT BENAMOU (14 March 2019). "Exposition Inaugurale de B7L9 "Climbing Through The Tide" le 16 mars à la Station d'Art Bhar Lazreg | Tekiano :: TeK'n'Kult" (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  13. ↑ "Aïcha Snoussi – Art Viewer". Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  14. ↑ "A la foire 1:54 de Londres, l'art africain sur son 31" (in French). 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  15. ↑ "Aïcha Snoussi • Parallèle". www.plateformeparallele.com. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  16. ↑ "Aïcha Snoussi -" (in French). 2016-07-30. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  17. ↑ "Immersion dans l'univers singulier d'Aïcha Snoussi". www.linstant-m.tn (in French). Archived from the original on 2019-12-19. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  18. ↑ "Queer Studies Research Workshop: Work-in-Progress talk by Anne Marie Butler, "The Matter of the Body: Queer Considerations of Contemporary Tunisian Women's Art"". University at Buffalo. October 31, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  19. ↑ Mondafrique, La redaction de (2019-05-17). "Treize artistes tunisiens célèbrent à Paris la journée contre l'homophobie". Mondafrique (in French). Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  20. 1 2 Butler, Anne Marie (2019). Unintelligible Bodies: Surrealism and Queerness in Contemporary Tunisian Women's Art (Thesis).
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