Nadia Ayari

Born in 1981, Tunis, TN

Lives and works in New York, US

Nadia Ayari is a Tunisian-American artist whose vibrant and thought-provoking works oscillate between abstraction and figuration, exploring storytelling and form from multiple perspectives through painting. Her unique vision allows her to instrumentalize currents from Western art history, such as Abstract Expressionism, to depict a world experienced in three languages and from a multitude of cultural positions.

Ayari’s work is distinguished by her striking oil paintings that explore narratives of survival, intertwining the personal and the political. She constructs imaginary scenarios inspired by elements of the flora of her native North Africa, uniquely blending natural and fantastical motifs. In her recent works, Ayari breathes life into flourishing scenes of branches, pink flowers, and leaves, evoking a sense of movement and connection against all odds. These compositions, created with thickly applied and meticulously handled oil paint, give her works a substantial and tangible presence, reinforcing their proximity to the viewer. Her work explores the intersection of personal experience and geopolitics, often telling stories about the impact of sociopolitical conflicts on individuals.

Nadia Ayari (born in 1981, lives and works in New York, NY, US) is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI, US). Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at MoMA PS1 (New York, NY, US); Saatchi Gallery (London, ENG, UK); Des Moines Art Center (Des Moines, IA, US); the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL) (Marrakech, MA); the State Museum of Contemporary Art (Thessaloniki, GR); and the American University Museum (Washington, DC, US). She has also participated in the 12th International Cairo Biennale (Cairo, EG) and the 3rd Thessaloniki Biennale (Thessaloniki, GR).

Her works are included in several collections, including the Pinault Collection (Paris, FR), the Dalloul Art Foundation (Beirut, LB), the X Museum (Beijing, CN), The Scantland Collection (Columbus, OH, US), the Fundación Medianoche (Granada, ES), MACAAL (Marrakech, MA), the Barjeel Foundation (Sharjah, AE), the State Museum of Contemporary Art (Thessaloniki, GR), and the Saatchi Collection (London, ENG, UK).

She has been awarded the Lotos Foundation Prize (2019), the Robert Motherwell Award (2009), and the Matching Scholarship from the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (Skowhegan, ME, US) in 2006.