Baya, women in their garden, the poetic exhibition at the Arab World Institute - our photos

As part of its theme around the Regards sur l'Algérie, theArab World Institute offers the general public to discover a renowned Algerian artist, known under the pseudonym Baya. Her real name is Fatma Haddad, she has sublimated in her works of many women, staged in the Garden of Eden, surrounded by birds, musical instruments and elements that call to the dream. This exhibition, which runs from November 8, 2022 to March 26, 2023, traces the history of this singular woman through her early drawings, gouaches, as well as her paintings and sculptures.

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Baya, who died in 1998, left behind an incredible legacy, evoked by historian Anissa Bouayed, who has studied her archives from apostcolonial studies perspective. Theretrospective exhibition therefore adds a historical dimension to the works, with the help of a selection of documents and an insight into Fatma Haddad's personality and journey as an emancipated Algerian woman. Indeed, despite a difficult childhood, Baya created her own style filled with colors and imagined a beautiful and harmonious world, where women lived happily.

From the age of 16, the Algerian artist was recognized by her peers and by Parisian art lovers, thus increasing her fame and emancipation through artistic creation. Her entire work is impacted by the militancy for theabolition of the colonial system, between decolonization and warof independence, making her one of the pioneers of Algerian art.

A multitude of paintings welcomes us in this exhibition. This profusion of colors, faces andanimals immerses us in the dreamed and joyful world of Baya. Paintings and sculptures make us discover the idyllic universe of this unique artist, with a raw talent. Come and discover this exhibition without delay!