Zoubeir Turki (19 November 1924 – 23 October 2009) was a Tunisian painter and sculptor of Turkish origin. He was the younger brother of Hedi Turki (1922–2019). Born in the

Medina of Tunis The Medina of Tunis is the medina quarter of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The Medina contains some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains dating from ...

to a family of Turkish origin, Turki studied at the

University of Ez-Zitouna Ez-Zitouna University ( ar, جامعة الزيتونة, french: Université Ez-Zitouna) is a public ancient university in Tunis, Tunisia. The university originates in the Al-Zaytuna Mosque, founded at the end of the 7th century or in the early 8 ...

and the Institute for Advanced Studies, while taking classes at the

Tunis Institute of Fine Arts The Tunis Institute of Fine Arts (french: Institut supérieur des beaux-arts de Tunis) is a fine arts institute in Tunis, Tunisia. Founded in 1923, its seat was located at the ''Dribat'' Ben Abdallah near '' Tourbet el Bey'' with its former name T ...

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

. In 1946, he held a position in the administration before being recruited by French schools to teach

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

. In 1952, he was forced into exile for having participated in the actions of the Tunisian nationalist movement Neo-Destour. He settled in Sweden, from 1953 to 1958, where he joined the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. He went back to

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

in 1958, two years after the country's independence where he resumed contact with the School of Tunis which he was a founding member of and served as senior official in the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) *Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

. His administrative and political associations continued to increase, he became the president of several associations and unions, including the National Union of plastic and graphic arts, the Cultural Commission of the city of Tunis, and the Union of Plastic Artists Arab Maghreb. He founded and directed the Center for Living Art and the Belvedere; furthermore, on the political front, he was elected to the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

in 1979 and a municipal councilor for the city of Tunis. Turki paintings drew their inspiration in matters of

Tunisian culture Tunisian culture is a product of more than three thousand years of history and an important multi-ethnic influx. Ancient Tunisia was a major civilization crossing through history; different cultures, civilizations and multiple successive dynas ...

and its traditions, portraying characters and scenes of everyday Tunis. Building a collective memory of Tunisia made his work a unique style which earned him international recognition. The critical Louati Ali said in a book dedicated to modern art that Turki is undoubtedly the most popular artist in the history of the artistic movement in Tunisia. Turki was also a sculptor; he made the bronze statue of Ibn Khaldun, erected on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, where the School of Tunis was founded in 1949. He also created the fresco in the lobby of the House of Tunisian radio. Turki died at the age of 84.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turki, Zoubeir 1924 births 2009 deaths Tunisian people of Turkish descent Tunisian artists Tunisian nationalists Tunisian painters Tunisian sculptors University of Ez-Zitouna alumni Tunis Institute of Fine Arts alumni Tunisian expatriates in Sweden