Artists

Born 1982, Tunis, Tunisia / Lives and works in Nabeul, Tunisia. Thameur Mejri investigates complexities of human existence by identifying parallels between paradoxical ideas of violence, innocence, guilt and shame. The human figure acts as a central element throughout his compositions, the vigorous manner in which Mejri places the figure onto the canvas, reflects the relationship between painting and painter, suggesting self-portraits that battle to fully emerge and reveal themselves. There is an interplay between painting and film. He approaches painting as a film director and he films with the vision of a painter, allowing for the qualities of each discipline to manifest upon one another; the chaos and movement in his paintings are a testament of this. The energetic application of colour establishes the atmosphere in this confrontation between heaven and hell, each represented by blue and red. In choosing these colours as a departure point and importantly for their opposing religious connotations of heaven and hell, he confirms the major influence of these symbols, particularly in the Muslim world. He graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Tunis. He has exhibited widely, including the 13th Cairo Biennial, Cairo, Egypt / Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Art, Dakar, Senegal / N' Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, Detroit, USA / New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, New York, USA / solo exhibition at le MAC Lyon / France. Mejri’s work forms part of many prestigious collections of art, including Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE / The Sindika Dokolo Foundation, Luanda, Angola / Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon.  The Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL). Marrakech. Morocco.