A painter, sculptor and teacher, Issiakhem was a leading proponent of Algeria’s modernist and anti-colonial movements, often contributing to publications of the FLN. Shifting between abstraction and figuration, Issiakhem’s work often references the female figure, Amazigh traditions, and themes of personal struggle. Following the loss of his arm in a grenade blast, Issiakhem attended Algeria’s École des Beaux-Arts until 1951, studying miniature painting under the department’s founder, Omar Racim. He later studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris before returning to Algeria after its independence in 1962.