Aïcha Snoussi

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

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]

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]

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]

• https://aichasnoussi.tumblr.com/