Khaled Ben Slimane

Khaled Ben Slimane is a ceramicist, sculptor, and painter whose artistic practice is a quest for spirituality. Playing with graphism, Slimane choreographs letters, words, and Qur’anic verses in an intimate and rhythmic dance. In this movement across the surface of the medium, the materiality of Slimane’s gestural writing seemingly transpires into infinity.

Inspired by Andalusian themes and Berber traditions, the artist believes in the power of heritage and sees his craft as a contemporary reinvention of historical ceramics. His works on paper are recognised for the artist’s choice of the colours blue, ochre, and gold and his ceramics are often characterised by their functionality, taking the shape of a cylinder, cone, or cube form.

Slimane graduated from the Technological Institute of Art in Tunis in 1977 before continuing his training in Spain at Escola Massana in Barcelona. From 2004-05, he held a residency at Idemitsu Museum of Arts in Tokyo, Japan. His career has been recognised with numerous awards, including the 2002 Grand Prize in Vietri sul Mare in Italy and National Cultural Prize in Tunis. His pieces are collected by prominent museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC and the British Museum of Art. Khaled Ben Slimane lives and works in Tunis.