We were lucky to catch up with Oussema Zakraoui recently and have shared our conversation below.

Oussema, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My most meaningful project is ‘Not far from home’, having a solo exhibition has been a dream of mine from the start, a difficult one because getting in the small Tunisian art scene and staying consistent can be pretty challenging.
the project was a collection of photographs taken between 2 cities, Bargou, my hometown and sidi bou said where i moved to study architecture, it was a radical change that i had a hard time dealing with but through the walks i took to photograph both cities i was able to familiarize myself with my surroundings regardless of the location creating a sense of familiarity that brought me a long awaited peace.
Like most young artists here i had no funds for the exhibition but with the help of my family who supported me from the start and Emna Lakhoua my curator the dream finally saw the light.
It was a big milestone in my career and opened more opportunities for me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Born in 2000 , Bargou, Tunisia.
Lives and works in Tunis, Tunisia.
Working between Bargou, the city he grew up in, and Tunis, where he is studying
architecture, Oussema Zakraoui is a hoarder of images—obsessively collecting
and recomposing memories from his everyday life to investigate notions of
territory, identity, and belonging.
A selectionof his works has been shown in various group shows in Tunis like
“bideyet” in 2021 at the National Library Art Gallery, and “TGM STATION” at
TGM gallery where he was awarded with the second prize.In2021, he
published his first photo book, eROBAA, a series of photographs exploring his
relationship with intimate spaces.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the growth and change i experienced so far, my art helped shape my mind and my vision and strengthened my connections with the different elements of life, the social aspect is also rewarding, through art you can get in touch with like minded people and create new opportunities, but for me the personal part is the most important.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

People should take art a little more seriously and not just treat it as a trend, artists go through a lot to present their work so support could be more than just a picture on instagram, we should ask more questions, start more conversations, i understand people aren’t meant to like everything they see but if something actually resonates with you just go the extra mile.
Financial support is very important as well, in order for artists to be able to make more art and why not live off their art.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oussemazk/
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

exhibition photos: Mehdi Ben Tmessek
portrait: Hamza Brahmi