The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize 2024

(b. 1991, Senegal)

As a Senegalese artist, Adji Dieye’s work centres on representations and identities within formerly colonized regions, serving as a means to delve into the socio-political structures that meld our globalized world. By examining the role of culture in domains like advertising, public monuments, and national archives, Dieye scrutinizes the nodes of aesthetic self-determination within postcolonial spaces. Inspired by Felwine Sarr’s assertion that “Culture has an impact on perceptions, attitudes, consumer habits, investments, and savings, individual and collective choices; it remains the principal economic act,” Dieye aims to unravel how the underlying neoliberal environment can give rise to deceptive forms of self-determination. Her art reflects a deep exploration of the impact of culture on various aspects of life, and the complexities of asserting identity within a globalized context.

(b. 1994, Kenya)
Agnes Waruguru’s ongoing beading project reflects her dedication to learning through traditional craft practices, exploring material histories, and engaging in conversations with artisans. This process involves tracing the evolution of production methods and cultural practices that intersect. The use of beadwork serves as a material by which to ‘draw’ within her larger textile works, characterized by repetition and a commitment to slowness and care as tools for learning and memory production. Furthermore, Waruguru’s artistic expression spans various mediums, encompassing painting, drawing, printmaking, needlework, and installation. Central to her explorations is the materiality of objects within space, a theme deeply intertwined with her own sense of personal identity, often drawing inspiration from women’s practices and traditional cultural markers such as costume and the domestic space. Waruguru holds a BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design in the USA and has exhibited her work in various countries including the United States, France, South Africa, and Kenya. She has participated in residencies in Sydney, Australia and the Saba Artists Residency in Lamu, Kenya.

(b. 1963, Morocco)
Amina Agueznay regards her studio as an open field, where the process of discovery and collaboration takes precedence over the final product. As an architect, the artist is deeply attuned to spatial intention and scale, from the minutiae to the monumental. Her installations often adapt to their site-specific environments, evolving as they transition from one space to another. In tandem with her artistic practice, Agueznay embarks on journeys through urban and rural regions across Morocco, seeking out artisans to document their indigenous design techniques and traditions. This research profoundly influences her own contemporary interventions, emphasizing the collaborative essence of creation, especially in the realm of textile work. Titled “Portals”, this project originated from an invitation by eco-architect and anthropologist Salima Naji to lead workshops for the women of Tissekmoudine, a “ksar” or settlement in southern Morocco. Central to the “ksar’s” identity are its doors. During these workshops, participants engaged in self-observation, documenting their daily routines and spatial interactions. The women’s sketches of these doors were transformed into wool weavings. The artist developed her own interpretations of these doors, incorporating alternative materials from the oasis like talefdamt (palm husk) and ifraoune (palm leaves). The resulting work is tactile and sensory, with the brush-like textures of talefdamt a contrast against the softness of wool. The organic scent of husk and untreated wool in turn evokes the textures of the oasis and “ksar”, the warmth of the sun, and an expansive blue sky.

(1989, Ivory Coast)
Arthur’s work is deeply rooted in the Akan culture of eastern Ivory Coast with his ethnic background significantly influencing his creations. Akan’s beliefs are deeply connected to the spiritual realm, mystical entities, and invisible beings, and they strongly emphasize the existence of the immortal soul; referred to as “wawô” in the Akan language. Arthur’s artistic medium of exploration centres on fabrics, particularly denim, which he skilfully transforms through cutting, gluing, sewing, bleaching, and painting into intricate tapestries. The subject matter of his work involves the intricate relationships individuals share with their environment, fellow humans, and life itself. When Arthur incorporates clothing fragments collected from multiple individuals into his artwork, he interweaves their presence, their histories and experiences into the pieces. In his work Blah Wawô, the artist crafts a feminine portrait, signified partially by its imposing scale and undeniable presence, reflecting not just an individual but the amalgamation of united souls. The bird in the artwork symbolizes migration, movement, and the displacement of people, embodying the hope of those leaving Africa for a better life in the West. Additionally, the bird reflects the transformative shifts occurring in a rapidly evolving society, where women are assuming new and pivotal roles.

(b. 1983, Senegal)
Anna Binta Diallo’s practice is deeply influenced by her Franco-Manitoban and Senegalese heritage, creating a space for identity-related discussions. Diallo employs video, sculpture, and installation, with collage as both a medium and a conceptual foundation. Recollections, dreams, and forgotten stories intersect, engaging with global issues like celebrating diasporic identities, addressing historical traumas, understanding the upheaval caused by migration, and recognizing our interconnectedness with other forms of life on Earth. “Voyageur/Almanac,” a collection of Diallo’s works, reflects expansive interest in folklore to encompassing ecological surroundings, storytelling and folklore. These historically have helped humans find meaning and order in a complex world. Diallo’s exploration raises questions about memory, identity, migration, mythology, language, and history. Her large-scale immersive textile installations examine how humans have sought to understand and control the natural environment. Drawing from diverse references, including geography, earth sciences, landscape, and weather patterns, these ambiguous figures exist outside conventional concepts of space and time. Her work Seed Girl represents a girl engaged in sowing or reaping, offering a space for possibility and hope—a place to reimagine our relationship with the natural world.

(b. 1985, South Africa)
The work of Blessing Ngobeni is marked by layers of acrylic washes, collage elements, and exaggerated figures. His paintings serve as a critical examination of societal norms and a profound exploration of the African experience on a global scale. Ngobeni channels his personal experiences into nightmarishly surreal and often violent scenes within his artworks. Despite their brutality, these scenes showcase the artist’s mastery of visual elements, including line, composition, and the evocative power of colour. In his artistic journey, Ngobeni engages in a dialogue with the works of artistic luminaries like Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Koloane, Pablo Picasso, and Dumile Feni. He firmly believes that history continues to shape our present-day existence. Ngobeni’s work on canvas encapsulates the contemporary African experience, portraying a paradigm in which the African body grapples with an unrealized self, oscillating between the rejection and embrace of external systems. This narrative reflects the ongoing struggle for identity and agency amid a complex journey of interrupted development.

(b. 1970, Togo)
Born in Lomé, Togo, Clay Apenouvon is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in Paris, where many of the artist’s influences are derived from. As both an artist and activist, Apenouvon is deeply concerned about plastic and introduced the concept of “Plastic Attack” in 2010, utilizing installation art to raise awareness of plastic’s global environmental threat. Apenouvon enjoys exploring the versatility of materials, particularly cardboard. Associated with the concept of packaging, cardboard is a central theme of Apenouvon’s artistic practice. He sees plain packaging and cardboard containers as having equal value to their contents. In 2015, he presented Lampedusa’s First Film Noir, an imaginary silent black film, exploring themes of oil extraction and survival blankets as metaphors of distress and survival. His work seeks to create a union of previously divided geographic territories and to appreciate anew what has been devalued for some time. His art is a testament to the power of this union, culminating in the triumph of Black emancipation and the revaluation of a continental identity.

(b. 1995, Nigeria)
Fadekemi Ogunsanya’s art serves as cathartic emotional landscapes which engage with the ineffable realms of love, joy, suffering, and loss. Growing up within a patriarchal Yoruba family structure, Ogunsanya carried a deep awareness of her womanhood and the profound influence of female alliances in society. The artist infuses mythological references in her art through the use of indigo, a colour steeped in cosmic significance within Yoruba culture. Her subjects exude a quiet confidence, bearing strong resemblances to ghostly figures and sharing a profound bond of mutual reinforcement. The artist is intrigued by how her work finds its place within a space, and her paintings are viewed as unique objects. Each artwork is housed in a hand-painted frame, a process enriched by her architectural background. Ogunsanya’s design expertise allows her to explore unconventional avenues of presentation, which depart from the traditional white cube gallery displays. The portrait presented here interrogates interpersonal relationships which embody the societal ideal of the nuclear family—a joyful yet tentative aspiration for many. The nuclear family is depicted with warmth, comfort, and volatility. The mother, father, and child figures are captured as powerful, graceful, and confident figures. Accompanying this piece is a poem that encapsulates the essence of creation, love, and vulnerability.

(b. 1987, Rwanda)
Originally from Rwanda, Offman has lived in Italy since his early childhood, currently residing and working in the Italian city of Bologna. His abstract compositions, while devoid of literal representation, bear the weight of narratives entwined with local and global histories. Offman’s wall pieces and installations emerge from the creative transformation of reclaimed materials, including gifted and discarded fabrics, used coffee grounds, expired bandages, and bits of paper, meticulously painted and assembled. His artworks serve as an intricate tapestry of textures and layers, drawing from diverse visual and historical influences. Each element within his creations is laden with symbolism, from the discarded bandages sourced from the Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna (MAMbo) to coffee grounds collected systematically over many months. Offman’s deliberate choice of materials, such as Bolognese plaster and coffee, reflects a fusion of his birthplace’s significance as a coffee-producing nation and his current home in Italy where coffee holds a revered status.

(b. 1984, Democratic Republic of Congo)
Fransix Tenda is a multidisciplinary artist currently undertaking a research project Le Choc Est Là initiated between the Jardin Rouge in Morocco and Switzerland. This endeavour explores pain and pleasure through the history of chocolate production, interrogating its cultural, economic, political, social, and geopolitical impact within the cocoa supply chain. Tenda’s work intertwines elements from his parents’ archives in Congo with visuals sourced from leading chocolate companies’ historical records, resulting in expansive paintings that serve as the foundation for his video animations. These drawings narrate distinct yet interconnected tales about human connections and relationships in the production and consumption of raw materials like cocoa, offering personal reflections on the collective memories of post-colonial societies. They illuminate the bittersweet reality that the pleasure derived from chocolate is inextricably linked with suffering, creating a thought-provoking body of work dealing with the interplay between history, culture, and commerce.

(1976, South Africa)
Gerhard Marx’s work critiques the conventional practice of map-making, which has historically positioned the viewer as distant, objective, and separate from the observed environment, thus rendering the environment as a two-dimensional backdrop with inscribed boundaries. This perspective has played a central role in colonialism and environmental exploitation. Marx’s goal is to engage in a ‘spatial re-imagination,’ creating new terminologies and descriptive forms that foster new, more harmonious relationships with our world. Through fragmentation and collage, the artist describes a multidimensional space of overlap and intersection, replacing the fictional ‘solid ground’ of traditional cartography with a dynamic, dimensional, and relational space, grounded in multiple perspectives. Marx’s artistic practice is rooted in a poetic and philosophical exploration of distinctive material traditions. The artist engages in a process of careful dissection and rearrangement, allowing the viewer to tap into the poetic potential and philosophical underpinnings of selected materials. This approach leads to the development of original drawing, sculptural, and performative languages. Marx places significant emphasis on the physical depiction of space, which he refers to as “spatial imaginaries.” The artist is intrigued by how these depictions of space influence and shape people’s understanding of the space itself. Through acts of fragmentation and reassembly, Marx constructs complex and alternative spatial concepts. These propositions aim to challenge the disembodied, objective, colonial, and modern perspectives of today, offering constructions that embrace multiple positionalities, layered histories, and spaces that exist both within and between.

(b.1993, Ghana)
Hassan’s multifaceted artistic practice centres on painting, exploring its theatricality, objecthood, and spatial dynamics. The artist seeks the relevance of drawing, painting, sculpture, and architecture, within our contemporary context. Hassan draws inspiration from natural material and geometric patterns found in his hometown, Kumasi, as well as his personal experiences within the Zongo communities where the artist grew up. Hassan works with materials such as posters, acrylic/oil paints, cast iron/aluminium, wood, and steel pipes. These elements are unusually combined, through the expertise of local welders and craftsmen, creating constellations of objects and installations that reference aesthetics from specific epochs in global art history. Hassan’s artwork is a reflection of Kumasi’s diverse spaces and cultures, exploring how they intersect and influence one another. It highlights Kumasi’s unique contribution to modernity by blending forms and materials from world cultures, yet, it also acknowledges the risk of these designs becoming formulaic and conforming to hegemonic influences, potentially erasing their inherent diversity.

(b. 1993, Ghana)
Jonathan Okoronkwo’s art is fascinated by the afterlives of discarded machines, examining how these can materially transform, displace, and create new identities with these obsolete mechanical objects. Using the discarded materials he finds in scrapyards, Okoronkwo engages concepts of materiality, and the transformation of the waste of these discarded objects. The artist collects decommissioned steel engine parts, which he then liquifies in his studio lab, incorporating used motor oil as a key ingredient and medium in his work. To create his compositions, Okoronkwo digitally assembles images of broken machine parts, crafting his own reinventions and interpretations of the charged environments of scrapyards and auto garages. The artist’s work Lungulungu ways to be someway features five rusted pipes interweaving across the canvas, surrounded by clustered mechanical parts. In pidgin, “Lungulungu” translates to “complex paths are interesting,” evoking the intricate and fascinating nature of Suame-Magazine, one of West Africa’s largest industrial zones, located in Kumasi, Ghana. The rusted pipes, infused with liquified steel, symbolize the transformative and interconnected experiences of Suame-Magazine’s occupants, both human and inhuman. These experiences, set against the backdrop of bustling workers and the noisy town, reflect the ability of Suame-Magazine’s engineers to innovate and repair machines, inspiring the chaotic elements that organize themselves within the artwork.

(b. 1996, South Africa)
Lebobang Mabusela’s was born in a small town called Mabopane. Her work comprises of a series of figurative monotype prints, imbued with humour and storyboard-like compositions. These works capture scenes featuring two figures: a man cat-calling a woman and her uncomfortable or perplexed response. Words familiar to us all sprawl at the bottom of each piece, narrating a journey that vividly portrays the challenges of navigating the city as a woman. Currently, she is engrossed in an ongoing project titled “Johannesburg Words” This series employs text-based portraits, rendered in oil pastel drawings and monotype prints, on an intimate scale to depict the pervasive issue of street harassment. Mabusela engages with vernacular phonetics to spotlight how the streets of Johannesburg serve as a crucible of cultures, where familiar oral encounters with unfamiliar men intersect along winding roads, amplifying structures of power at collective sites of vulnerability. Her artistic practice revolves around a focused interrogation of patriarchy, racism, and heteronormativity. The artist addresses these vital themes through a diverse range of formats and methodologies, utilizing printmaking, drawing, and paper sculptures, to delve into the dynamics of the male gaze, voyeurism, and male desire.

(b. 1984, Mozambique)
Born in Maputo, Mário Macilau, is an artist and activist, widely recognized for his photographic work. Throughout his career, Macilau has cultivated a unique artistic style that elicits deep emotions through his choice of subjects and his profound connection with them. His work often portrays scenes where women carry children, but they blend into landscapes of fallen trees, reeds, and homes, creating an ethereal presence that simultaneously exists and fades, resembling fleeting memories. These evocative compositions offer viewers a glimpse into the emotions and stories of his photographic subjects. He is hailed as a prominent figure among Mozambique’s emerging artists. His early life was marked by the challenges faced by many children in Mozambique, where he worked tirelessly to support his family. Currently, Macilau divides his time and artistic practice between Maputo, Lisbon, and Cape Town, and his work has travelled widely and been exhibited in many cities around the world.

(b. 1964, South Africa)
Mark Rautenbach employs materials such as sewing thread and steel mesh to create two-dimensional wall assemblages. These pieces serve as a means for exploring sociological, ecological, and philosophical themes, questioning the purpose and responsibility in our lives. While his work is often seen as abstract, the artist prefers not to use that term, as it overlooks the material essence of his creations. Instead, Rautenbach’s aim to embody paradoxical and contradictory tensions within the artwork, with transitions in colour and tone literally embodied in the chosen materials. He conjures with pictorial and cultural conventions, offering a relational dance of appearance, reality, and representation. The artist invites viewers to engage with his stagecraft of picture-making, only to confront the actuality of the material itself. Rautenbach’s goal is to establish a connection between the viewers, the artwork, and the world that surrounds them. These sumptuous loose threads become subjects of the artist’s artwork. In this art piece, it now serves as both material and metaphor in his art, symbolizing the unseen forces that shape our experiences.

(b. 1983, Zimbabawe)
Moffat Takadiwa’s artistic practice is dedicated to addressing the complex socio-political issues facing the African continent. Takadiwa strives to repurpose the detritus and ashes of history to cultivate a brighter, more equitable future. In addition to his artistic pursuits, the artist is a founding member of Mbare Art Space in Harare, where he actively engaged in mentoring emerging artists. His compelling series Colonial Product 10 is composed of 12 artworks that confront the pressing need of dismantling the enduring vestiges of colonialism in Africa and healing the continent from its colonial legacy. These artworks, constructed from recycled materials, serve as a powerful metaphor for the transfer of power from Europe and its insidious and enduring influence that continues to permeate through independent Africa. Takadiwa’s work has been showcased in numerous exhibitions, both nationally and internationally, underscoring the universal relevance of the discourse surrounding post-colonial identity and the path towards healing and progress.

(b. 1978, Ghana)
Turkson’s artwork draws its inspiration from the rich Akan Kente weaving tradition of Ghana and pays tribute to a young girl from Cape Coast, known as Abrewa who, despite facing financial hardships, collected discarded flip-flops as a means of self-support. Turkson’s artwork serves as a poignant reminder of the significance of life and ecosystems in a world marked by profound environmental challenges. In essence, the vibrant colours and intricate design of the artwork are intended to convey a powerful message of environmental consciousness. Abrewa’s story invites viewers to reflect upon their own choices and assume responsibility for the preservation of our planet. The artwork embodies the spirit of resilience and sustainability, offering a source of hope for a more sustainable future. Turkson calls for collective action to foster a harmonious coexistence between humanity and the natural world.

(b. 1976, Morocco)
Over the past several years, Erruas’s artistic focus has centred on the intricate interplay of sensation, perception, and experience. The artist views her art as a personal odyssey of interpretation and understanding, a quest through which she seeks to grasp the intricate fabric of the world and society that envelops her. Erruas is acutely attuned to the potential of the in-situ artistic experience, recognizing that she has no control over the external world beyond her studio’s confines. Realising that she is unable to dictate the ebb and flow of joy, beauty, conflict, or displacement, in response to this sense of powerlessness, the artist feels compelled to infuse her work with a critical dimension, shedding light on challenging realities rather than merely bearing witness to the times we inhabit. The artwork Constellation is born from the artist’s contemplation of the profound aspects of human existence and the notion of belonging, juxtaposed with the concepts of home and borders. This work explores the fragility and uncertainty of displacement, whether it be from physical or imaginary places. Executed in a striking white palette, the piece symbolically represents the political map of the world, intricately shaped by piercing cotton paper, and anchored by carefully-arranged pins. This composition serves both as a formal aesthetic choice and a conceptual strategy, inviting viewers to reflect on the connected and disconnected territories that define our global landscape.

(b. 1992, Ethiopia)
Selome Muleta’s artistic exploration concerns itself with the portrayal of female figures engaged in an act of introspection. She employs acrylic and oil pastel on canvas as her chosen medium. Muleta’s works simultaneously examines and celebrates the complex inner worlds of her subjects. The stillness of these figures contrasts with the dynamic patterns and flourishing flora that intertwine with their surroundings. Muleta utilizes translucent washes of colour to establish a contemplative harmony between her subjects and the environments they inhabit. Occasionally, the faces of her characters are obscured or cropped, directing the viewer’s attention towards the sparse collection of objects that adorn the space. A drooping plant, a slumbering feline companion, a distant, crookedly framed portrait—all blur the line between living and inanimate elements. Instead, the focus shifts to the sheer physical presence of existence. Much like the bottles and bowls depicted in Morandi’s work and Hockney’s plant-filled vases, the flattened characters and objects rendered by Muleta’s brush exude a serene vitality, resonating with the energy of their very being.

(b. 1991, South Africa)
Sethembile Msezane is an interdisciplinary artist who weaves together photography, painting, live works, film, sculpture, and installation to engage a profound interplay of spiritual and political symbolism. Her practice has evolved towards a deep exploration of spirituality, intuition, and the hidden dimensions of human collective existence. By concerning herself with unseen realms, the natural world, and the cosmic, Msezane seeks to understand and find resolution in profound human experiences. Through her artwork, she recognizes the global loss of indigenous knowledge due to colonialism, and aspires to nurture and celebrate its resurgence in a contemporary context. The contemplation of human existence has led her to a realization of “pluri-versality” which transcends the familiar frequencies of humans, enabling the viewer of her work to resonate with Spirit. Her work also suggests that the living body can serve as a receptive vehicle for the spirit’s expression in daily life, rather than only in the face of death. The repetitive weaving and pattern-making of her works allude to sonorous cosmic frequencies, giving viewers a glimpse of the underlying depths to our existence.

(b. 1974, Egypt)
Souad Abdelrassoul’s paintings celebrate femininity and emotion, her compositions rooted in her experiences of living within a patriarchal society. Motifs in her paintings tackle these issues while paying homage to artists and practices she admires. The artist draws on her journey as a mother, highlighting women’s resilience and adaptation in oppressive settings. By revisiting familiar myths and legends, Abdelrassoul narrates stories that challenge traditional female roles, disrupting the status quo and prompting contemplation by transforming notions of form, science, and nature into deeply personal configurations. Her practice spans various media, embracing drawing, painting, sculpture, and graphic design. She interweaves the abstraction and the figurative, uniting human, animal, and plant forms to emphasize the intrinsic interconnectedness of life. In her latest artwork titled Pink Cloud, Abdelrassoul deconstructs and abbreviates the female form, portraying women seemingly ensnared by both inner and outer confines. Veiled in translucent drapery, these figures epitomize the duality of concealment and exposure, provoking viewers to decipher what lies beneath and what lies on the surface. Her works often delve into the subject of the human psyche, with subjects featured with haunting gazes that amplify the disconcerting situations they face.

(b. 1996, South Africa)
Talia Ramkiliwan’s artistic practice is deeply rooted in exploring her South African-Indian identity and culture. Ramkiliwan articulates the intricate web of relationships she has with herself and her world through the tangible medium of wool with each painstakingly hand-pulled thread. While physically challenging to work with, her practice provides a meditative space for introspection. Her recent focus on pleasure, leisure, intimacy, vulnerability, and softness in everyday life invites viewers to experience the ways she has embraced joy and self-worth in a world filled with complexity and transformation, often found in moments of peace and stillness. State of Mind (Dear Me) is a candid glimpse into Ramkiliwan’s personal world, as reflected by the still-life tableau on her bedside table, shown to be strewn with both mundane and revealing items that speak to the complexities of her current existence. This composition captures a moment of self-realization where the artist confronts the untidiness that had infiltrated her ordinarily organized life. The note, bearing the message “Dear me, I thought it’d be over by now but I’ve got a while to go. And that’s ok. xx,” reinforces the idea that this artwork is not about explaining the question of why, but rather, acknowledging that this moment, with all its intricacies, simply exists.

(b. 1991, Ethiopia)
A figurative painter by training, artist Tizta Berhanu explores the intricate tapestry of human emotions through her art. Her canvases serve as introspective windows into a world where figures express a myriad of sentiments. Some find solace and connection, while others navigate solitude against enigmatic backdrops, all bathed in a rich palette of translucent colours created by bold, undefined brush strokes. Within Berhanu’s work, observers are welcomed into moments of vulnerability and intimacy as her subjects convey love, hate, sadness, and loneliness. The artist’s expressive swirling brushwork imbues her compositions with a dreamlike atmosphere, where figures emerge from a tide of vibrant and subdued hues. Only their lips, weighted eyelids, and outstretched hands remain distinctly defined against the luminous haze. Berhanu’s entangled compositions subtly highlight the significance of community in providing support, reflecting on an essential aspect of Ethiopian culture. These works, reminiscent of memories that evolve and merge with time, capture the beauty of human touch. Through layers of thin paint washes, the artist preserves the emotions of her memories, offering viewers a timeless glimpse into the ever-shifting landscapes of the human heart.

(b. 1993, South Africa)
Born in Pomfret, a town located in the North West Province of South Africa, artist Teresa Kutala Firmino grapples with the daunting question of how to heal centuries of generational trauma. Her narratives originate from personal, collective and historical trauma. Her art negotiates both personal and collective trauma in her daily life, constructing scenes that blend past and present. Drawing from diverse sources like magazines, newspapers, historical documents, and social media, Firmino assembles these elements within vibrant, box-like stages. This creates surreal, baroque settings within confined interiors, where characters can re-enact their stories or imagine new ones. In her series “Oku pekela,” artist Firmino looks into the genetic and social histories of the women in her family. This exploration was sparked by her personal experience with pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, a condition that disproportionately affects black women due to various biological, social, and cultural factors, particularly in environments marked by historical trauma. Firmino’s work seeks to uncover and address the deep-seated stresses endured by African communities resulting from colonization, civil wars, and other socio-political challenges.

(b. 1976, Egypt)
El Masry’s artwork is centred around memories and fragments of her personal life; and the concealment of her inner femininity and vulnerable inner child persona–elements of her personality that have been constrained by social norms. El Masry is burdened by notions of regret and distorted love. El Masry’s art focuses on societal issues in her native Egyptian culture, with a particular focus on the position of religion on women and their relationships with others around them. Despite this, her work manages to transcend time and borders, making it universally relatable. El Masry’s objective is to uncover the psychological pain and yearning for complete freedom to pursue dreams and ambitions, free from the constraints of a strict and unforgiving society.

(b. 1999, Morocco)
Youssra Raouchi’s artistic practice defies categorization, challenging the boundaries of mediums and their constraints on artists. Grounded in philosophical exploration, particularly Gilles Deleuze’s rhizome theory and the theory of multiplicity of identity, the artist’s work navigates the intricate grey areas inherent to contemporary art. Her subjects are non-hierarchical and linear, stemming from multiple concepts such as sexuality, the interplay of absence and presence, space, and identity. Embracing these interconnected ideas, her art lacks a defined beginning or end, mirroring the rhizome’s nature. In “Moi, C’est L’Autre”, Raouchi inquiries into the concept of multiplicity of identity, as developed by the philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Pierre-Felix Guattari. This multiplicity in her subconscious allows for the presentation of polarized ideas within her work. She views contemporary art as a melting pot of notions, where chaos and control coexist harmoniously. Through the continuous manipulation of contrasting principles, like the merging of warm and cold colours, the artist creates negative or void-like spaces from which fully formed landscapes emerge, evoking a sense of reality materializing. Within this context, vulnerability and fragility emerge, inviting observers to explore the dissociative awareness between primal instinct and engineered consciousness, embodying the elusive range between human and animal consciousness.