Asma Mnaouar

  • Biography

    Tunisian born, Asma M'Naouar graduated in Aesthetics and Arts Science from the Institut des Beaux-arts of Tunis in 1988, before she pursued her academic training in Italy at the Rome Art Academy in 1993. Awarded a number of artist residency grants, she stayed in Switzerland, France and Lebanon. Then, she settled in Italy in 2002 where she completed her Master in Conservation at Palazzo Spinelli in Florence. She was awarded various prizes including the 1st Prize of the critic “Giordano Bruno” in Solerno, Italy, in 1993 and the First Golden Prize at the Biennale of Kuwait in 1996. In 1999, she was awarded the 1st Prize for Visual Art by the Ministry of Culture in Tunisia.

    Since 1996, Asma has been regularly exhibiting at Elmarsa gallery where she had her latest solo exhibition in June 2014. She took part in numerous group shows. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, museums and biennials in North Africa, Europe and the Middle East such as Sharjah Biennale (1995), Palazzo Suevo Bari, Italy (1998), the National Museum of Art in Kaunas/Lithuania (2003), Municipal museum of Pultsk in Poland (2004), the Arab World Institute in Paris (2008), Dar El Founoun in Tunis, Algiers, Rabat (2008), and the Palais Namaskar in Marrakech as part of the exhibition “Symbiose de deux mondes-L’Europe et le Maghreb” organised by The Written Art Foundation in Franckfurt. She also participated in the itinerant exhibition “Un Autre Regard” in Tunis in 2000 and in 2004 in Switzerland. She took part in international art forums as a guest speaker such as at the Global Art Forum at Art Dubai and at the Palais Namaskar in Marrakech within the framework of the exhibition. In 2015, she took part in the travelling exhibition « All the World’s a Mosque » in Carthage, Tunisia, curated by Lina Lazaar.

    Her works can be found in many public and private collections including The Foundation Pietro Caporella in Rome, the Center Rachid Karamé in Tripoli, Lebanon and the Ministry of Culture in Tunisia as well as private collections in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

    Exhibitions

    Born in 1965, Tunis (Tunisia).Lives and works in Tunis


    EDUCATION AND TRAINING 


    2003           Master in Conservation - Institute for Art and Restoration, Palazzo Spinelli, Florence, Italy

    2001          Intergovernmental Agency of the Francophonie in Tripoli, Lebanon

    1997          Residency with the Workshop of Tunisia - International City of Arts Paris

    1996          Residency with the Workshop of Tunisia - International City of Arts Paris

    1995          Residency with the Bildzwang Workshop, Pro-Helvetia at Lucerne, Switzerland

    1994          Residency with the Bildzwang Workshop, Pro-Helvetia at Lucerne, Switzerland

    1993          Graduate of the Academy of the fine arts of Rome - Emphasis in Painting

    1988          Control in Aesthetics and Arts sciences - I.T.A.A.U.T. University of Tunis

    SOLO SHOWS (Selection)


    2021           “Horizons”, Elmarsa Gallery, Dubai

    2014           “City”, Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2010           “Untitled, 2010”, Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2009           Galerie Gilbert Dufois, Senlis, France    

    2008           Exhibition at the Raiffeisenbank, Vienna, Austria

    2006          “Natura”, Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2004          “Mare Nostrum”, Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2004          “Mare Nostrum”, Dante Alghieri, Rome, Italy

    2002          “Mare Nostrum II”, Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    1998          Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    1997          Galerie de la Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France

    1996          Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    1993          “Mare Nostrum”, Gallery I.M.M.ART. Fondation Caporella, Roma, Italy

    GROUP SHOWS (selection)


    2021           “A Tunisian story…”, Elmarsa Gallery, Dubai, UAE

    2019           “What is a box?” Jacques Derrida, curated by Mohamed Ali-Berhouma, Elmarsa Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia

    2017           “Modern art from North Africa”, Elmarsa Gallery, Dubai, UAE

    2016           “Yesterday is tomorrow's memory: a group show of work from North Africa”, Elmarsa Gallery, Dubai, UAE

    2013           “Symbiose de deux mondes-L’Europe et le Maghreb”, Palais Namaskar in Marrakech, initiated by The Written Art Foundation in Franckfurt.

    2010           Arab Art Festival, next to the Exposition Universelle of Shangaï, China

    2009           “Sur les traces de la peinture contemporaine” (Tunisian Contemporary Painting), Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2009          Group exhibition, BIAT- Banque Internationale Arabe de Tunisie, Tunis, Tunisia

    2008          “The Emirates through the Arab Contemporary Artists’ Insights”, organized by the Ministry of Culture of the United Arab Emirates, DIFC, Dubai, UAE

    2008          “Artistes arabes entre l’Italie et le Maghreb” (“Arab artists between Italy and the Maghreb”), Dar El founoun, Tunis, Alger, Rabat

    2008          Exhibitions of women in the occasion of the 13 of August, Saragossa, Spain

    2008          “Art connexions”, Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2008          Printemps des Arts, Palais Abdelliya, La Marsa, Tunisia

    2007           “Femmes créatives de Tunisie”, Palais de l’UNESCO, Paris, France

    2006          “Mémoire de Demain” Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2006           Arab Art Festival, Beijing, China

    2005          “Tunisian women and art” UNESCO and IMA-Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France

    2005          “Regard sur la Tunisie” Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2004          Municipal museum “Four Corners of the World”, Pultsk, Poland

    2004          Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2003           MK Ciurlionis - National Museum of Art, Kaunas, Lithuania

    2003          “5 + 5 Artists of Two Banks of the Mediterranean” Acropolium museum of Carthage, Tunisia

    2003          Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2002          Hordaland International Art Gallery, Bergen, Norway

    2002          Exhibitions “French-speaking Artists” 9th summit of the “francophonie”, Palais de l’UNESCO, Beirut, Lebanon

    2002           Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2001           “Europ' Art” Geneva, Switzerland

    2001           Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    2000           “Variations 2000” Gallery El Teatro, Tunis, Tunisia

    2000           Exposition Universelle of Hanover, Tunisian Pavilion, Germany

    2000           Exhibition of Swiss artists having lived in Tunisia and Tunisian artists having lived in Switzerland

    2000           “Un autre regard” (A different insight), Palais Kheireddine, Tunis, Tunisia

    2000           Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    1999           “Beirut cultural capital” Palais de l’UNESCO, Beirut, Lebanon

    1999           Elmarsa Gallery, Tunisia

    1998           Exposition Universelle of Lisbon, Portugal

    1998           “Dix années de jeune peinture tunisienne”, Palazzo Suevo Bari, Italy

    1997           “Another glance” Museum of Modern Art of Bienn/ Gallery ITTEN, Bienn, Switzerland

    1997           “Ten years of young Tunisian painting” Charles de Gaulle Library, Tunis, Tunisia

    1996           “Chassé croisé” Tunisian and European Painters of the 20th century, Palais Kheireddine, Tunis, Tunisia

    1995           “Kunswinter” Contemporary art museum of Luzern, Switzerland.

    1995           Biennale of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

    1994           “Crossing cultures” Gallery MAE, Marseilles, France/ Museum of Carthage, Tunisia

    1994           “Folgoratti sulla via di Damasco” Covent of Saint Onofrio, Rome

    1994           “The light, the project, the form” with Molinari and Vinciguerra, Fondation Caporella, Italy

    1993           “Mare Nostrum” Galerie I.M.M.ART, Rome, Italy

    PRIZES AND AWARDS


    2009           1st Prize for the best representation of the city of Kairouan, Cultural capital of the Islamic world, delivered by the ASESCO (UNESCO).

    1999          1st Prize of Creation, Ministry of Culture, Tunisia

    1996          “Golden Sailing” - 1st Prize - Biennale of Kuwait

    1993          1st Prize of the critic “Giordano Bruno” - Campagna - Solerno - Italy


    PUBLIC SELECTION


    Private collections in the UAE

    Ministry of Culture in United Arab Emirates

    Ministry of Culture in Lebanon

    Ministry of Culture in Tunisia

    The Foundation Pietro Caporella in Roma, Italy


    PUBLICATIONS


    2004    « Arts de Tunisie », Simpact Edition Française Tunis, Khaled Ben Romdhane

    2002    « La quête de la Tunisianité » (the quest of tunisianity), Editions Finzi, Mustapha Chelbi, Tunisia

    1997    « L’Aventure de l’Art Moderne en Tunisie », Edition Simpact, Ali Louati, Tunisia


    FILMOGRAPHY


    2007    « Huit femmes tunisiennes peintres » (Eight Tunisian women painters), documentary film by Hmida Ben Ammar, produced by Baheddine Attia, presented at the festival « Doc à Tunis ».


    CATALOGUES


    2008    « Les Emirats vus par les artistes arabes contemporains », Dubai, UAE

    2008    « Artistes Arabes entre l’Italie et le Maghreb », Martina Corgnati/Toni Maraïni, Tunisia.

    2007    « Global Art Forum », WAI – World Arab Institute, Paris.

    2004    « Impressions croisées », exhibition at Palais Khereddine, Tunisia

    2000    « Exposition de l’Art Contemporain », Palais de l’UNESCO, Beirut, Lebanon

    1997    « Un autre regard », Swiss painters in Tunisia and Tunisians in Switzerland, Bienn, Switzerland

    1997    « Dix années de jeune peinture tunisienne », Tunis

    1994    « Folgorati sulla via di Damasco », Roma

    1993    « La luce, il progetto, e la forma », with Molinari et Vinciguerra, Roma

    News

    AWARE: Archives of Women artists

    https://awarewomenartists.com/en/artiste/asma-mnaouar/

    Dubai Lowdown: Exhibitions to See

    https://ocula.com/magazine/features/dubai-lowdown-exhibitions-to-see/

    “Horizons” Art Exhibition by Asma M'Naouar at Elmarsa Gallery

    https://arte8lusso.net/art/horizons-exhibition/

    CNN: Making geometric art in Dubai's Alserkal Avenue

    https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2021/03/31/dubai-geometric-pattern-art-workshop-spc-intl-.cnn

    'What's on' Bulgari Resort Dubai

    https://www.bulgarihotels.com/auth/fr_FR/bhr/dubai/whats-on/article?id=5e7d302f-fdc5-4c33-ba90-a5a18dfd64b0&