Art and Activism: 50 Years of Africana Studies at KU
Jellal Ben Abdallah, a member of the artist group the École de Tunis (Tunis School), was renowned for his miniature painting, watercolors, and monumental design. He portrayed female musicians, octopi, and starfish in Orchestre sous-marine, a study for a ceramic tile mural in the Hôtel les Palmiers, a modernist hotel designed by Olivier-Clément Cacoub. This painting is featured in Jessica Gerschultz’s book Decorative Arts of the Tunisian École. Similarly, the small sketch depicts five musicians, fish, and sea urchins on the seafloor. Ben Abdallah’s signature, written in Arabic, forms the oud (lute) strings.
These works are rare examples of Arab surrealism in a U.S. museum collection. The untitled still-life represents the artist’s lifelong practice of painting miniatures and Arab instruments. Ben Abdallah, like other members of the École de Tunis, engaged with historical art forms found in Arab and Islamic lands as part of his modernist practice. His miniatures, particularly desired by Tunisian collectors, have been displayed as paintings, inserted into precious jewelry, and circulated as postage stamp designs. Ben Abdallah passed away at the age of 96 on November 9, 2017, and continued painting until the end of his life.
Art and Activism: 50 Years of Africana Studies at KU
Jellal Ben Abdallah, a member of the artist group the École de Tunis (Tunis School), was renowned for his miniature painting, watercolors, and monumental design. He portrayed female musicians, octopi, and starfish in Orchestre sous-marine, a study for a ceramic tile mural in the Hôtel les Palmiers, a modernist hotel designed by Olivier-Clément Cacoub. This painting is featured in Jessica Gerschultz’s book Decorative Arts of the Tunisian École. Similarly, the small sketch depicts five musicians, fish, and sea urchins on the seafloor. Ben Abdallah’s signature, written in Arabic, forms the oud (lute) strings.
These works are rare examples of Arab surrealism in a U.S. museum collection. The untitled still-life represents the artist’s lifelong practice of painting miniatures and Arab instruments. Ben Abdallah, like other members of the École de Tunis, engaged with historical art forms found in Arab and Islamic lands as part of his modernist practice. His miniatures, particularly desired by Tunisian collectors, have been displayed as paintings, inserted into precious jewelry, and circulated as postage stamp designs. Ben Abdallah passed away at the age of 96 on November 9, 2017, and continued painting until the end of his life.
Race, Gender, and the "Decorative" in 20th-Century African Art: Reimagining Boundaries
Jellal Ben Abdallah, a member of the artist group the École de Tunis (Tunis School), is renowned for miniature painting, watercolors, and monumental design. He portrayed female musicians, octopi, and starfish in Orchestre sous-marine, a study for a ceramic tile mural in the Hôtel les Palmiers, a modernist hotel designed by Olivier-Clément Cacoub. Similarly, the small sketch depicts five musicians, fish, and sea urchins on the seafloor. Ben Abdallah’s signature, written in Arabic, forms the oud (lute) strings. These works are rare examples of Arab surrealism in a U.S. museum collection. The untitled still-life represents the artist’s lifelong practice of painting miniatures and Arab instruments. Ben Abdallah, like other members of the École de Tunis, engaged with historical art forms found in Arab and Islamic lands as part of his modernist practice. His miniatures, particularly desired by Tunisian collectors, have been displayed as paintings, inserted into precious jewelry, and circulated as postage stamp designs. Ben Abdallah painted until the end of his long life; he passed away at the age of 96 on November 9, 2017.
Race, Gender, and the "Decorative" in 20th-Century African Art: Reimagining Boundaries
Jellal Ben Abdallah, a member of the artist group the École de Tunis (Tunis School), is renowned for miniature painting, watercolors, and monumental design. He portrayed female musicians, octopi, and starfish in Orchestre sous-marine, a study for a ceramic tile mural in the Hôtel les Palmiers, a modernist hotel designed by Olivier-Clément Cacoub. Similarly, the small sketch depicts five musicians, fish, and sea urchins on the seafloor. Ben Abdallah’s signature, written in Arabic, forms the oud (lute) strings. These works are rare examples of Arab surrealism in a U.S. museum collection. The untitled still-life represents the artist’s lifelong practice of painting miniatures and Arab instruments. Ben Abdallah, like other members of the École de Tunis, engaged with historical art forms found in Arab and Islamic lands as part of his modernist practice. His miniatures, particularly desired by Tunisian collectors, have been displayed as paintings, inserted into precious jewelry, and circulated as postage stamp designs. Ben Abdallah painted until the end of his long life; he passed away at the age of 96 on November 9, 2017.
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