Najah Zarbout

born in 1979 in Medenine (Tunisia). Lives and works in Sousse.

Biography

After studying at the Higher Institute of Arts and Crafts in Sfax, Najah Zarbout was accepted at the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, where she earned a doctorate in Arts and Sciences of Art. She currently holds a position as an assistant professor at the Higher Institute of Fine Arts in Sousse.

Najah Zarbout is interested in subjects related to current events, the individual, and contemporary society. Her artistic creations explore the relationship with others in its various aspects. She offers a metaphor for human submission or disobedience and invites the viewer on an imaginary journey through the materiality of paper. Behind her seemingly playful works lie profound and daring subjects. Her artistic practice takes various forms, ranging from drawing to video, photography, and installation. In recent years, she has focused on a cutout approach. From embossing to folding or tearing, in various combinations of light, lines, and cuts, she engages in a dialogue with paper.

In 2018, Najah Zarbout represented Tunisia at the Dakar Biennale in Senegal. In addition to numerous solo and group exhibitions, her work has been featured in several fairs and salons in Tunisia, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Morocco, Kuwait, among others. She is the recipient of the Grand Prix in Plastic Arts at the « Ici et demain » festival in 2008 (France).

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Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions (selection)

2022 : I dreamt of being an island,  A.Gorgi Gallery, Abu Dhabi Artfair 2022.

2021 : Thanaya: entre plis et chemins, curated par Sirine Abdelhedi, Frac Corse dans le cadre de la Saison Africa 2020.

2008 : Smart Dolls, Espace K, Paris.

2007 : De ce côté du miroir, Galerie Itinerrance, Paris.

2006 : Champ de vision, Cité Universitaire Internationale de Paris.

Group Exhibitions (selection)

2024 :
Ink, Papers and Scraps – حبار ،أوراق و كواغط, A.Gorgi Gallery, Tunis.

2023 :
Hirafen, Talan L’expo – A.Gorgi Gallery, Tunis.

2021 :
#unconditional,  A.Gorgi Gallery, Tunis.
Accrochage,
Galerie Le violon bleu, Tunis.
Vous êtes la danse, 
Yosr Ben Ammar Gallery, Tunis.
L’espace du dedans,
A.Gorgi Gallery, Tunis.

2020 :
Trivium, Yosr Ben Ammar Gallery, Gammarth.
Linéaments, Yosr Ben Ammar Gallery, Mall of Sousse & Gammarth.
Life is like a CircusMusk and Amber Gallery, Tunis.

2019 :
Matières, Villa Tanit Gallery, Gammarth.
Le XXIème siècle sera-t-il africain?, Yosr Ben Ammar Gallery, Gammarth.
Utopies Visuelles II, Elbirou Gallery, Sousse.
Festival Al-Qurain, Kowëit.
Seconde vie, Elbirou Gallery, Sousse.