Houria Niati (born 1948) is an Algerian contemporary artist living in London. Niati specializes in

mixed media In visual art, mixed media describes artwork in which more than one medium or material has been employed. Assemblages, collages, and sculpture are three common examples of art using different media. Materials used to create mixed media art incl ...

installations that criticize Western representations and objectification of north African and Middle Eastern women. Her installations notably have live performances most commonly traditional Algerian music such as

Raï Raï (, ; ar, راي, Latn, ar, rāʾy, ), sometimes written rai, is a form of Algerian folk music that dates back to the 1920s. Singers of Raï are called ''cheb'' (Arabic: شاب) (or ''shabab,'' i.e. young) as opposed to ''sheikh'' (Ara ...

, as a key visual representation of Niati's homeland and culture. Salah M. Hassan further details her performances, "She uses synthesizers, sound recordings, and special light effects to create a theatrical atmosphere and a vibrant magical environment of sound, body movement, and color." The installations and exhibitions join together paintings, sculptures, drawings, photos, soundtracks, and performances.

Early life and career

Niati grew up in French-occupied Algeria, where over one million Algerians were killed for resisting occupation. When Niati was twelve years old, she demonstrated against French colonialism with her

anti-colonial Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on independence ...

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

, which landed her in jail. Niati's experiences with the French occupation and eventual revolution of her people greatly influenced her art later in life. Niati moved to London in the late 1970s, where she observed Western art that depicted Algerian people, especially women, in a fictionalized and exotic way. This influenced her own depictions of post-colonial cultures, nations, and people. She attended

Camden Arts Centre Camden Art Centre (formerly known as Hampstead Arts Centre until 1967 and Camden Arts Centre until 2020) is a contemporary art gallery in the London Borough of Camden, England that hosts temporary exhibitions and educational outreach projects. T ...

and Croydon College of Art, and later went on to get an MA in Fine Arts at Middlesex University.

Selected exhibitions

* 1983: '' Five Black Women'',

Africa Centre, London The Africa Centre, London was founded in 1964 at 38 King Street, Covent Garden, where over the years it held many art exhibitions, conferences, lectures, and a variety of cultural events, as well as housing a gallery, meeting halls, restaurant, b ...

*1984: ''Into the Open: New Painting, Prints and Sculpture by Contemporary Black Artists,'' Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield *1986: ''From Two Worlds,'' Whitechapel Gallery, London *1988: ''An Exhibition of Pastels & Paintings by Houria Niati,'' Africa Centre, London * 1990: ''No to the Torture,'' first displayed at the

Cartwright Hall Cartwright Hall is the civic art gallery in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, situated about a mile from the city centre in the Manningham district. It was built on the former site of Manningham Hall using a gift of £40,000 donated by Samuel ...

Museum in Bradford, England in 1990 *1991: ''Four x 4,'' Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston * 1991: ''Bringing Water from the Fountain,'' first displayed at the

Harris Museum The Harris Museum is a Grade I-listed building in Preston, Lancashire, England. Founded by Edmund Harris in 1877, it is a local history and fine art museum. History In the 19th century, it became legal to raise money for libraries by local ...

in Preston, England, 1991 * 2013: ''Houria Niati: Identity Search'',

Conway Hall The Conway Hall Ethical Society, formerly the South Place Ethical Society, based in London at Conway Hall, is thought to be the oldest surviving freethought organisation in the world and is the only remaining ethical society in the United Kin ...

, London, UK

Publications

Niati, Houria (1999). "Diverse Bodies of Experiences". In Lloyd, Fran (ed)
''Contemporary Arab Women's Art: Dialogues of the Present''
WAL Women's Art Library. .

References

1948 births Algerian emigrants to England Living people Algerian women artists Algerian artists English women artists British installation artists English artists Algerian contemporary artists 20th-century Algerian artists 21st-century Algerian artists 20th-century English women 20th-century English people 21st-century English women 21st-century English people {{Africa-artist-stub