From North Africa to North America
Alia Bensliman
October 11 through December 13, 2024
Reception with the Artist: Thursday, October 17
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Bensliman is a contemporary visual artist. Her work reflects her view of life and her sentiments about the current state of our society, socio-political issues, taboos, religion, relationships, health, and human rights. It is also a depiction of her past experiences and how they have influenced her. Her artwork is also a sort of diary of her everyday life. She uses a combination of intricate lines, shapes, and repetitive patterns that she enhances with colors, ink, gold and silver paint, and handmade, environmentally friendly watercolors that she creates from nontoxic, organic pigments to get the desired textures and intensity on Arch paper. Bensliman has been interested in and attracted to art and drawing since her early childhood. She struggled with learning disabilities throughout her education, and her parents and grandparents encouraged her to pursue an art education. Bensliman thrived in art school, where she felt more at ease and was able to learn and communicate better through art.
Bensliman grew up in Tunisia, North Africa. Tunisia is at a crossroad of eastern and ancient art and cultures on one hand and western, more contemporary art on the other. Bensliman’s art reflects a fusion of East and West with a penchant for North African, Islamic and Amazigh art. All her drawings are full of symbols and meaning that explain her sentiments about milestones in her life, her past experiences, and her everyday life. She also tries to express her views about current socio-political issues, health issues, religion and human rights. She tries to draw in a way that allows the viewers to interpret the pieces in their own way. The goal of Bensliman’s drawings is to intrigue, engage, and provoke thought and reflection from the viewers. The intricate level of detail in each piece allows the viewer to discover more details and make new interpretations each time they view the piece. During the pandemic, Bensliman felt trapped and very nostalgic about her origins and her roots. She decided to create a series of Amazigh and North African women’s portraits with a background using arabesque geometric patterns and Arabic calligraphy that reminded her of the architecture, the colors, and landscape from her childhood and early adulthood in Tunisia. Creating this series made her feel closer to home and evoked senses, feelings, and happy memories about her home.
Bensliman's focus is to show her art in an academic setting. She recently exhibited her art at the Lawrenceville School and the Princeton University Art Museum.
Visiting the Silva Gallery:
Appointments can be made via 609–737–4133 or silvagallery@pennington.org.
Appointments are available Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Accommodations can be made for groups of 6 or more on Tuesday evenings (6:00-8:00 p.m.) and Saturday afternoons (12:00-2:00 p.m.).
48 hours of advanced notification is required for appointments as all visitors will need to be placed on our visitor log.
The Silva Gallery is ADA accessible.
Parking: Enter the campus of The Pennington School at the main entrance off of West Delaware Avenue between the two brick pillars. Proceed to the T and turn right, and you will see four visitor spots on the left. If visitor spots are filled, please park in any open spot not marked Admission.