Category Archives: Art Books

Tal Waldman: « Drawing Inward »

Tal Waldman, a multidisciplinary artist, is the recipient of the Grand Prix Dessin from the Taylor Foundation in 2023, as well as the Excellence Award from the American University of Paris and Modern Art Energy Japan at the Festival of Sacred Art in Compiègne in 2021. She also won the Grand Prix for Environmental Art at the Salon d’Automne in 2016, and the City of Paris Award in 2009 for her contemporary perspectives on jacquard tapestry. Her sculptures and drawings are part of public and private collections, notably in the department of Aube.

Tal’s solo exhibitions, such as “La Voie d’Expérimentation” at the Cité du Vitrail in Troyes (2023) and “Mémoires Brodées” at the Museum of Art and Industry La Piscine in Roubaix (2016), as well as her presence at international art fairs and galleries, highlight her engagement with the public. Her recent publications, including “Visualizing the Invisible” (2022) and “La Voie d’Expérimentation” (2023), reflect her extensive research. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as RFILe MondeElle DécorationArtensionArgument, and others.

Focused on Deep Ecology, Tal explores the interconnection between nature, consciousness, and society through various artistic mediums. She sheds light on spiritual, social, and ecological themes, addressing topics such as perception, mindfulness, interdependence, femininity, the collective memory of immigrants, the circular economy, and ecological production.

Nicole Lamothe, art critic, wrote in the catalog of the 2023 Taylor Foundation Grand Prix for Watercolor:
“Research is a constant for this artist, who explores all possibilities of visual creation to convey her reflection on our behavior and reactions to life. Consciousness, chance, and the subconscious merge in her work. Tal Waldman studied painting, drawing, and architecture, leading to works that are often highly structured, combining figuration and abstraction. Her travels in Africa, Asia, and Europe partly fuel her creation, which balances order and disorder. Often produced in series, her compositions don’t tell a story but rather explore an intimate perception of the world, like a meditation. Waldman seeks to express the invisible and depict the close relationships between spirit and body, themes she deepens in her series that intertwine reflection and dreamlike qualities. Blended colors and light are fundamental in this process, creating between chance and control. Forms merge in an elegant, colorful mosaic. Today, her drawings have grown larger, inviting multiple interpretations: organic forms, cosmic space. The relationship between body, mind, and art is at the core of Waldman’s research, forming a body of work that is innovative and timeless.”

The work ‘Drawing Inward’ was published on the occasion of her exhibition at the AYN Gallery in Paris, 20, rue Saint Louis en l’Ile, in 2024. It was published bilingually in French and English.
The book was created in co-operation with AYN Gallery.

Ali El Hadj: « Les Fondateurs»

The in French language published book “Les Fondateurs” is part of a series of works dedicated to Algerian painting by the author of the famous Encyclopedia of Algerian Poetry in the French Language, 157 Poets, 1930-2008, published in 2009. Other titles include: The Figure and its Presence, Abstraction and Avant-garde, The Sign, Naive Art, Miniature and Illumination. The Algerian Painting series covers all genres and styles, from the most classical to the most avant-garde, presenting all the great Algerian artists. From Khadda to Issiakhem, including Baya, Guermaz, Bourdine, Nezzar, Mokrani, Nedjai, Martinez, Larbi, Khimoune, Belkhorissat, Bettina, or Ziani. Each of these books begins with an in-depth introduction that addresses the aesthetic aspects and historical context of plastic creation in Algeria. From rock art and prehistoric art, through Orientalists and the first artists of Algerian origin—such as Mammeri, Hemche, Boukerche, Khadda, Issiakhem, and the Aouchem group—to painters who emerged in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and even 2000s.

The work Les Fondateurs presents the twenty-six Algerian artists who began practicing easel painting at the beginning of the twentieth century. Ali Ali-Khodja, Jean-Michel Atlan, Abdellah Benanteur, Miloud Boukerche, Mohamed Bouzid, Abdelkader Guermaz, Abdelhalim Hemche, M’Hamed Issiakhem, Mohamed Khadda, Mohamed Louail, Azwaw Mammeri, Choukri Mesli, Mohamed Temam, Abderahmane Sahouli, Mohamed Zmirli, as well as European-born Algerians Dinet, Jean De Maisonseul, Maria Manton, and Louis Nallard.

Ali El Hadj Tahar, an Algerian journalist and art critic, played an essential role in promoting Algerian artists and culture during his service at the Ministry of Culture in Algiers. His English Literature studies at the University of Algiers laid the foundations for an exceptional career. In 1974, he began collaborating with francophone newspapers, including Alger RéalitésAlgérie-Actualité, and El Moudjahid. In 1984, he became a professional journalist at Révolution Africaine, marking the beginning of a distinguished career in various newspapers and magazines, specializing in art criticism. His contributions include numerous studies on art, culture, cities, and society, as well as portraits of poets and writers. He also played a key role in shedding light on the life and work of many Algerian visual artists. Ali El Hadj Tahar is also a painter and poet, adding a creative dimension to his rich career.

The book was created in co-operation with AYN Gallery.

 

Marion Boehm: De Fil et de Rencontres

Marion Boehm has lived in South Africa since 2010, launching her artistic career in Johannesburg by exploring the links between African and Western cultures. Involved in community projects in Kliptown, her work, a reflection of personal experiences, addresses socio-economic and cultural issues through unique artistic series. Based in Germany, her captivating collages fuse artistic integrity, conceptual vision and aesthetic beauty, defining a singular and committed artistic voice.

The work ‘DE FIL ET DE RENCONTRES’ was published on the occasion of Marion Böhm’s exhibition at the AYN Gallery in Paris, 20, rue Saint Louis en l’Ile, in 2023. It was published bilingually in French and English. The book was created in cooperation with AYN Gallery.