Thameur Mejri: Studio Visit
“My studio plays a big role in my practice. It’s the place where things happen, where I’m face to face with myself and with the world. It’s like a sanctuary. ”
INTERVIEW WITH THAMEUR MEJRI AND LAURA DAY WEBB
NABEUL, TUNISIA
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to be an artist?
My name is Thameur Mejri, Tunisian artist and art teacher born in 1982 in Tunis. Being an artist was a dream I had since I was a child, my uncle was an artist too and from my young age I discovered visual arts in his studio, so my dream was like "I want to be an artist like my uncle''. When I grew up I made it to the art school and after my diploma in 2005, I started working on my professional career.
What is your approach to starting a new work?
A new work is always part of a new series. I always start with an image that haunts me, my intention is to see that image in the canvas, but then when I start working, that image evolves, changes and adapts to the techniques I’m trying and to the accidents that happen through the process.
Do you listen to music when you are working and what do you listen to?
Yes, it is something necessary for me, it's part of the process. It depends on the mood, but I like to listen to heavy metal, bands like Slipknot, Deftones and Korn. Sometimes I switch to bands like Joy Division, Interpol…it depends on the energy I want to have in the studio.
What role does your studio space play in your practice?
My studio plays a big role in my practice. It's the place where things happen, where I’m face to face with myself and with the world. it's like a sanctuary. It's a small space compared to the large scales of paintings I do, but it's a positive thing. I feel I’m inside the compositions, the face to face with the paintings is real, it pushes me also to take different postures when I work. I can see the impact of the space in the final result.
Are there any elements or objects in your studio setup that have special significance to you and your practice?
I think the space itself inspires me. I try to reproduce the geometrical aspect of it in my composition, the small windows, the roof is very close. It's a very narrow space.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on my upcoming Solo exhibition in NYC with Montague Contemporary Gallery. I’m very excited to show my artworks in the US. Also, I’m working on an artist book inspired by the poetry of a Tunisian poet and very soon, I will start working on my upcoming Solo show in the Museum of Contemporary art in Lyon, France. This show is curated by Salma Tuqan and Matthieu Lelièvre.
How did you come about your current studio? Any interesting, funny, dramatic, inspiring stories to share?
I have worked in this studio since 2014, the year of the birth of my daughter. I chose the space because of its proximity to home, I wanted to be near my family. I have a dramatic story to share. In the fall of 2018, there were floods in the city and my studio was devastated by the waters. Many paintings were destroyed, my stuff was ravaged. I was in shock, the whole city was in shock. It took me two weeks to clean the mess and to repair some of the works