Mourad Salem (born 1956) is a

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

n artist based in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. His works question historical leaders, often depicting them as immature power-hungry figures. In 2013, Salem's exhibition "Sultans Are No Sultans" debuted at the Nour Festival of Arts from the Middle East and North Africa at the

Leighton House Museum The Leighton House Museum is an art museum and historic house in the Holland Park area of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in west London. The building was the London home of painter Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton (1830–189 ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Salem is of

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

origin.

Early life and education

Mourad Salem was born in

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

. His father was Tunisian and his mother French. He spent his youth in Tunis until he was 18. He studied in Canada and France where he lived for many years. He graduated in Biology, Biochemistry and Pharmacy. He received a Doctorate in Pharmacy at the

University of Strasbourg The University of Strasbourg (, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. Founded in the 16th century by Johannes Sturm, it was a center of intellectual life during ...

, France. He then started in the eighties a career as an artist that drove him to New York and Dublin, Rep of Ireland. Pier Kirkeby, the danish artist and the German Neo-expressionism had a major impact on him at the start of his career.

Exhibitions

The last few years he exhibited in numerous venues. The most notable were: Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France, 2012: " Le corps découvert". Leighton House Museum, London, UK, 2013: "Sultans are no sultans", curated by Rose Issa project. "Open your eyes" 2014, Rose Issa Galey, London, UK. Art Fair, Dubaï, UAE, El Marsa Gallery. "Ambivalences suspectes", Gahya gallery, Tunis, Tunisia, 2015. "Arab Territories", Constantine, Algeria, curated by Nadira Laggoune, 2015.

References

1956 births Living people 20th-century Tunisian artists Artists from Tunis 21st-century Tunisian artists Tunisian contemporary artists Tunisian expatriates in France Tunisian people of Turkish descent University of Strasbourg alumni {{Africa-artist-stub