Abdessalem Elfelah

Born in Mezzouna, Tunisia in 1984, Abdessalem Elfelah is a contemporary figurative and existentialist artist.

Elfelah graduated in Plastique Arts from the Fine Arts School of Nabeule (Tunisia) and later received a Master's in Research and Theory of Creation in 2014. He is currently pursuing his PhD at the Institut Superieur des Beaux Arts of Tunis.

With his vivid acrylic paintings, Elfelah tackles through a critical lens a number of important current issues within society, ranging from religion to sexuality to politics. His main source of inspiration has been the socio-cultural and socio-economic conflicts rooted in his home country. Elfelah has grown up in the Tunisian region of Sidi Bouzid, home of the first outbreaks that led to the Arab Spring in the country.

The events and the struggle that characterised this region resound in Elfelah's paintings, clearer than ever, with expressive forms that populate the canvas breaking the silence with a deafening noise. His visual representations are part of a dreamlike universe where fiction blends into landscapes of truth.

Kids are often the main protagonists of Elfelah's stories, creating an apparent 'innocent' universe that hides a bitter criticism towards reality. Through allegories of love, society, and the politics tied to Arab countries, the artist wishes to claim, criticize, question, and pay homage to his native country and the young generation.

Abdessalem Elfelah has exhibited extensively in group and solo shows in Tunisia and France, and he currently lives and works between Tunisia and the UAE.