Tamazghan Artist Diasporas 

Interview with Alia Bensliman

Editors

TSJ: Could you tell us about your artistic practice and how it came to be?

Alia Bensliman (AB): I am a Tunisian-born contemporary artist. My work explores socio-political issues, human rights, and personal experiences through intricate patterns, rich textures, and vibrant colors. I am deeply influenced by North African and Amazigh art. I blend traditional motifs with contemporary themes, inviting viewers to engage in reflection and discovery. My recent work highlights the culture and history of indigenous Amazigh women, particularly through research on traditional tattoos and symbols. 

Since a young age, I have loved to doodle and draw. My mother noticed my interest in art and encouraged me by signing me up in art classes and workshops. I always felt at ease, happy and comfortable when drawing and creating art. It was a way of expression and communication for me. I always felt comfortable being an artist. During my adolescence, I suffered with undiagnosed learning disabilities, which made conventional school very challenging for me. However, the arts were very helpful in my education. My mother was very supportive and cognitive of this. After high school, she encouraged me to register at a private fine arts school in Tunisia, where I thrived academically and enjoyed my art education. After my marriage and moving to the US, I was able to continue developing my artistic career. 

TSJ: You hail from Tunisia, where the Amazigh language is almost extinct. We were wondering if you could tell us how your art from the diaspora could potentially be a space for restoration and preservation of endangered Amazigh culture in Tunisia?

AB: Yes, unfortunately, Tunisia was brainwashed at a deep level by colonizers and by the post-colonial, nationalist policies of President Bourguiba and later, President Ben Ali, who imposed the homogenization and limitation of Tunisian culture and identity to just “Muslim and Arab,” slowly erasing Amazigh identity. As a result of decades of this policy, sadly, the Amazigh culture is very endangered and at risk of disappearing completely in Tunisia. However, after the January 14, 2011 Revolution, which ousted the Ben Ali regime, and was coined the “Arab Spring,” Tunisia has seen a resurgence and awakening of the Amazigh culture, language and traditions. The Amazigh community is slowly resurfacing and starting to advocate for themselves. Tunisians are also acknowledging more and more Amazigh influence and heritage in Tunisia.

My goal is to bring awareness of the Amazigh community and to talk about its rich and vibrant culture and traditions here in the US, and hopefully soon in Tunisia also, through my artwork and research. I chose to paint and portray the young generation of strong independent Amazigh women to show that there still is continuity and also development and adaptability in the Amazigh society and culture. I want to show that the culture is not disappearing, but evolving. I hope that the viewers will relate in some way and get intrigued and curious about Amazigh culture and society through my portraits.

I am honestly very disappointed about the current situation of Amazigh culture in Tunisia. I’m hoping my work will open interesting conversations and debates, and opportunities for improvement. I also hope to work with the Tunisian civil society and authorities at some point in the near future, to introduce Amazigh history and language in the education curriculum. 

TSJ: Looking at your drawings, one cannot but notice your focus on vivid colors, fabric and tattoos and also a strong presence of African motifs. Could you help us understand the importance of these elements for you?

AB: I really love colors and I make my own. I create homemade nontoxic watercolor by extracting pigments from spices, leaves, vegetables and flowers that I use in my work. Since childhood, I have been heavily influenced by the intricate lines, patterns and colors of  Amazigh pottery and textile artisans. I’m also very drawn to geometric patterns in Islamic art and the art of “Jeliz” found in tiles and carpentry, as well the art of Arabic calligraphy. I try to incorporate these styles in my work. Firstly, to celebrate Amazigh and Islamic culture because it represents my identity as a North African, and secondly, to bring awareness and provoke conversations about “amazighité” in Tunisia. I also paint different women that represent me and my story in some way. They all represent my origins, my heritage and culture.

I am very passionate and intrigued about Amazigh symbolism, specifically tattoos. There is a wide and rich library of symbols out there, and I’m actively doing research to learn more. Some have secret meanings, some have different purposes, some are aesthetically pleasing. I am fascinated by them. So, I try to include them in my work as facial or body tattoos, in textile or jewelry. 

It is important to me that the viewers feel the richness of Amazigh culture by looking at these different elements in my work. 

TSJ: During the pandemic, you started a portrait series of Amazigh women. Why was it important for you to engage in this project on women in general, and what specifically about the pandemic drew you into this work? 

AB: I gave birth to my second child in 2018 so I took the decision not to travel to Tunisia and wait until she grows a little and feels comfortable during a long overseas flight. Then the pandemic came, which delayed the trip by a few more years. I started feeling homesick and extremely nostalgic. I wanted to paint artwork that would remind me of home. I also started questioning my own identity and wanted to learn more about my ancestors and where they came from. I also recalled a few lost memories from the past. My maiden name is Ktari (which means from El Gtar). I asked my family elders, and they confirmed that my family is originally from El Gtar, a well-known Amazigh village in a mountainous region of Central Tunisia that dates back to antiquity. So I slowly started discovering and accepting my Amazigh roots despite some resistance from some family members. That motivated me even more to create a series on Amazigh women, not only from Tunisia, but from the Maghreb region. I wanted to represent all the Amazigh women. Those who already know about their Amazigh identity and those who are discovering it, just like me and probably like many other Tunisians. 

TSJ: You live and practice your artistic profession in the American diaspora. How has it been being Amazigh in the US and what opportunities and challenges come with being an Amazigh artist in these circumstances?

AB: As an Amazigh artist in the US, my artistic journey has been very exciting and unpredictable. I first started showing my work publicly in Trenton, New Jersey. Since the beginning, I have felt welcomed, accepted and adopted by my Trenton art community. They made me feel at home. I never felt different. They welcomed my art, my personality and my difference as a gift and as a richness that could be shared and added to the community.  They were very curious about me and my art and gave me many opportunities to show my work, and many platforms to speak about my roots and culture. One of these opportunities was to show my Amazigh series at the Princeton University Art Museum, which was a big highlight of my career and gave me a platform to introduce, inform and educate the viewers about my art, my roots and my heritage through my artwork. 

I’ve also been an art educator in the Trenton Area since 2016. I received a grant to create a free sustainable art program for underprivileged youth and I’m very happy and proud of it. 

The challenge I encounter as an Amazigh artist is that I feel that my work or my vision are not understood in some settings. For instance, some galleries wouldn’t accept showing the Amazigh women series, or they would exhibit them for aesthetic reasons only. They are not necessarily interested in knowing more about them or understanding the cultural, the educational aspect, the awareness component, and the research that goes into the work, which I feel sometimes makes the promotion of the exhibit a little lacking.

On the other hand, I find that exhibiting my work in schools and universities is extremely satisfying, rewarding and rich. I get to meet very talented curators, staff and faculty members. I also enjoy a high level of interaction with students, faculty, and the general community. This also opens the opportunity to create art and education programs for students in different majors to learn about Amazigh culture, North African and Muslim art. I see my artwork as educational, with a lot of information to offer to the viewer, so I really appreciate exhibiting in galleries in academic institutions.

The following three Alia Bensliman works are copyrighted and reproduced here by permission of the artist. Photo credit: Andrew Wilkinson.