Meriem Bouderbala

Born in 1960 in Tunis, Meriem Bouderbala received her training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Aix-en-Provence and the Chelsea School of Art in London. She currently resides and works between Paris and Tunis.

Meriem Bouderbala's Art Style

Meriem Bouderbala's creative inspiration stems from her dual French and Tunisian heritage and the amalgamation of her dual cultures. These influences have guided the gestures, revisions, and decisions that have shaped her artworks toward a state of "becoming minority," as she asserted.

A harmonious blend of performance art and static or dynamic imagery, encompassing mediums such as paintings, photographs, videos, installations, and ceramics, distinguishes her work. Occasionally employing photography, she creates her paintings on diverse surfaces such as canvas, paper, glass, and fabrics. She enhances her colors with elements like sand or iron filings, imparting a tactile and evocative relief that exudes both sensuality and drama.

Meriem Bouderbala's work embodies both the essence of the contemporary Maghrebian art scene and a "female art" that reflects a novel portrayal of the female experience in the Arab world.

She is recognized for her bold creativity, which has garnered attention from art critics. For instance, by engaging with the tales of the Thousand and One Nights and boldly juxtaposing her own image with her creative realm, Meriem Bouderbala initiates a dynamic critique of Orientalism.