The Tunis School: A Celebration of Plural Identity and Cultural Fusion
Through their canvases, I read the story of a Tunisia where different communities coexisted, where modern European influences (cubism, abstraction) came to enrich a deeply rooted local aesthetic. As an observer and analyst, I am convinced that the Tunis School represents more than just a stage in the history of national art: it is the embodiment of Tunisia's plural identity. I see this movement, born around 1949, as an extraordinary crossroads where Mediterranean cultures met without ever worrying about borders. What strikes me most is the interculturality that prevailed. I have always emphasized that this School brought together artists from all backgrounds—Tunisian, French, Jewish, Italian. Figures like Yahia Turki, Pierre Boucherle, Antonio Corpora, Moses Levy, or Jellal Ben Abdallah were not just painters; they were memory keepers.
A Unique Cultural Fusion
Through their canvases, I read the story of a Tunisia where different communities coexisted, where modern European influences (cubism, abstraction) came to enrich a deeply rooted local aesthetic. I want to stress the importance of this cultural fusion. The School is, in my eyes, the perfect example of successful cohabitation, where artistic creation was able to flourish despite the political tensions of the time. When studying their works, one does not see a divide, but rather a common ambition to forge a modern path unique to Tunisia. The contributions of Italo-Tunisians, French, and indigenous Tunisians created a rich visual vocabulary that rejected the clichés of Orientalism to focus on the country's true soul. For me, this is the true Mediterranean modernity. And it is there, in my opinion, that the most powerful founding act resides: the deliberate will to break with Orientalism.
Breaking with Orientalism
The painters of the Tunis School said "no" to the exotic and often stereotypical imagery that colonial Europe projected onto the Maghreb. Instead of a romanticized and superficial vision of street scenes or female figures, they sought to capture the psychological truth and authentic character of their environment. Their landscapes and portraits are stylized, sometimes purified, seeking the essence and color proper to the country. This is not just an illustration, but a cultural and visual reappropriation.
Uncovering a Forgotten History
My work aims to shed light on this "minor history," these often-forgotten contributions. For me, the Tunis School succeeded in freeing itself from colonial academism to propose a stylized and honest vision of Tunisian reality. This is why I consider these artists to be the major visual actors of Tunisian modernity, celebrating a cultural mosaic that makes up the unique richness of Tunisia as an essential bridge in the Mediterranean.
