MOHAMED BEN SLAMA

Ben Slama is a Tunisian painter born in 1974 in Tunis. Painting has been an integral part of his daily life since he was 17.

Ben Slama’s painting aims to remain anonymous: the portraits are carefully concealed, hidden with skill and finesse. Stories and legends are grafted onto these elusive faces. The artist draws inspiration from popular tales. From La Fontaine to the Brothers Grimm and even Japanese manga, nothing escapes this curious and dynamic artist.

The *Protagonistes* series consists of animal portraits filled with irony, cruelty, tragedy, and tenderness, reflecting the mediocrity in which the artist immerses his characters. Deliberately hidden, these animal portraits appear as masks and raise questions about identity, gender, and politics.

From 2005 onwards, Ben Slama began exhibiting his work at the Kanvas Art Gallery. His work is also included in the public collection of the future Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Tunisia. His pieces delight private collectors.

Thanks to awards and grants obtained after his first exhibition, Ben Slama attended courses at the Radès Center for Performing Arts and at the Italian Cultural Center in Tunis. He also participated in an artists’ workshop in Saïda (Lebanon) and at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, where he developed and affirmed his undeniable talent.

He currently lives and works in Paris and is arguably one of the most original and renowned painters of the new generation of talented Tunisian artists.





︎ @ben_slama_studio