Nejib Belkhodja was born in Tunis, Tunisia, in 1933, to a family of diverse origin: his father was from the Tunisian bourgeoisie of Turkish descent, while his mother was a Dutch singer at the Paris...
NEJIB BELKHODJA, Tunisia (1933 - 2007)
Bio
Nejib Belkhodja was born in Tunis, Tunisia, in 1933, to a family of diverse origin: his father was from the Tunisian bourgeoisie of Turkish descent, while his mother was a Dutch singer at the Paris Opera. The artist's richness origins and his upbringing within the walls of the old Medina of Tunis forged his knowledge and cultural background. Belkhodja studied at the School of Fine Arts in Tunis and had his first exhibition at the age of 23.
In his works, Belkhodja combines the architectural features of the Medina with calligraphy to create a unique style, easily recognizable, where the city is reinvented through an abstract approach. By using the simple lines of Arabic letters to render the city walls and arcades, in abstract expression, Belkhodja succeeded to anchor his oeuvre in a universal expression entrenched in its cultural roots and positioned against the standardization of art. Belkhodja was awarded the Tunis Municipal Prize at the Salon International in 1956. In the 60s, he traveled to Europe and participated in several exhibitions and earned many awards, such as the gold medal in Milan in 1964 and the National Award for Painting in Paris in 1968.
The artist passed away in 2007. After his death, the Tunisian Federation of Fine Arts created the "Nejib Belkhodja Prize of Plastic Arts" to honor the deceased artist.
This is a short biography. The full version , along with research, CV and sources will be posted soon. Stay tuned and visit us often or become a member to be notified of our updates.
+–
CV
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2017
Belkhodja dix ans déjà, La maison des arts du Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia
2013
Médinas Cosmiques, Galerie El Marsa, Carthage, Tunisia
2002
Solo exhibition, Centre d'Arts vivants Dar el founoun, Tunis, Tunisia
1980
Solo exhibition, Al Funun Hall, Tunis, Tunisia
1973
Solo exhibition, Rabat, Morocco
1956
Solo exhibition, Tunisia
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024
On The Roster: Highlighting Elmarsa Gallery's Represented Artists, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Arab Presences: Modern Art And Decolonisation: Paris 1908-1988, Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Paris, France
2022
Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950-1980s, The Block Museum, Illinois, USA
2020
Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950-1980s, Barjeel art Foundation, Grey Art Gallery, New York, US
2018
A Century in Flux, Barjeel Foundation, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE
2016
Mathaf Collection Summary, Part 2, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar
Honors and Awards
1990
National Award for Fine Arts, Tunisia
1968
National prize for painting at the Cité internationale des arts, Paris, France
1964
Milano Gold Medal, Italy
1956
Municipal Prize of Tunis at the International Exhibition, Tunisia
Collections
Musée de la ville de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
Barjeel art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar
Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon
+–
Documents
Nejib Belkhodja | Death of a true art
Tunisia - Lonely Planet Forum, English
Belkhodja, Néjib (1933–2007)
Gerschultz, Jessica
Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism, English, 2016
Néjib Belkhodja is Immortal | The Father of Contemporary Tunisia
African artist, English, 2011
Ruptures, renaissances et continuités. Modes de construction de l’histoire de l’art maghrébin
Annabelle Boissier and Fanny Gillet
Open editions Journals, French, 2004
p. 207-232
مدرسة تونس للفنون التشكيلية.. علامة فارقة وتاريخ خالد
Ramzi al Ayari
ultratunisia.ultrasawt.com, Arabic, 2018
Le régime postcolonial des arts et les usages de la modernité
Rachida Triki
Rue Descartes, French, 2007
pages 104 à 111
LE RÉGIME POSTCOLONIAL DES ARTS ET LES USAGES DE LA MODERNITÉ
Rashida Triki
Collège international de Philosophie | « Rue Descartes », French, 2007
pages 104 à 111
Art Collecting. Un certain regard sur l’art: la Fondation Kamel Lazaar de Tunis.
Ricarda Mandrini
Issue 3 Art Dubai, English, 2016
Néjib Belkhodja | Postmodernist from Tunisia
Joe Pollitt
Postemodernism, English, 2015
+–
