Biography
- Biography
His family living in the countryside, Hocine Ziani spent his childhood in a great cultural isolation. His early years coincide with the Algerian war. In 1964, two years after the independence of his country, he enrolled himself at school at the age of 11 and devoted himself to self-taught drawing. He was an intern at an accounting college at Bordj Menaiel in 1969, then moved to Algiers in 1973 to continue his studies and obtain a post of accountant in a national company.
From November 1974 to February 1977, he completed his military service. On this occasion, he discovered the Sahara desert, including the Hoggar and the culture of the Blue Men. This universe, where ocher is the only background color, will now influence his palette for good. When he returns to civilian life, he finds accounting again. However, aware of his artistic abilities, he dropped in 1978 the profession of numbers for that of the palette and colors. In 1979, he organized his first solo exhibition in an Algerian gallery. He joined other artists to found the group of 35 including Issiakhem, Temam, Khadda, Denis Martinez, Samsom, Kerbouche, Mesli, Ali-Khodja, Louail, Silem, Zoubir, Bourdine and Ouamane.
In 1983, the Algerian government, under the chairmanship of Chadli Bendjedid, called on all national artists to found a museum devoted to the country's history. Ziani contributes to it. His works, usually large format, will enrich the collections of government or presidential institutions. After a decade of production based on the historical theme, Ziani gradually turns away from the specialization and the restriction created. As Thierry Sznytka describes it, in an article he devotes to him in Arts Actualités Magazine: "At the same time, he is interested in the theme of still lifes, children and fantasias, aware that too much specialization risks lulling his creative spirit to sleep. In contrast to the historical paintings, very crowded, he favors free spaces treated in the blur, to give depth to his compositions. "From now on, his theme will diversify.
In 1992, he left for the French capital where he met the art dealer Daniel Lasnon, leading an art gallery located at 17 Place des Vosges. From then on, a fruitful collaboration will be established between the artist and the gallery owner. From 1993, the latter will organize exhibitions, individual or collective, in Paris, Brussels and some major cities in France. After his first exhibition in Paris, Hocine Ziani leaves Algiers and settles in Paris. Then, in September 1994, he moved again to Strasbourg. In 1997, he joined the Opera Gallery, led by Gilles Dyan, who will present his work in almost every continent. At the same time, and for several years, Ziani sent to the Salon. He has won several prizes, including the Academy of Fine Arts Prize in Paris.
In 2003, he met the art dealer Victor Pérahia, who offers him the services of his gallery, located in the heart of Saint-Germain-Des-Prés and permanently exhibiting works by Toffoli, Weisbuch, Arman, Dali, Braque and other big names. From this meeting will be born a long and faithful collaboration. This one will continue and will know two changes operated within the gallery. Indeed, the establishment changes its name, separating itself from the name "Galerie Art-Cadre", thirty years old, and renamed "Galerie Pérahia", the name of the family. Also, Victor, the founder, retires and gives his hand to his son Robert for the management of the gallery. If the new direction is noticeably interested in contemporary art, however, it remains faithful to its former artists it has always defended, including Ziani.
In 2010, Hocine Ziani represented Algeria at the international painting exhibition gathering the thirty-two countries qualified for the FIFA World Cup, organized in South Africa by Fifa. He is responsible for forming the group of five artists representing his country. He calls on his colleagues Ouamane, Djemai, Hamidouche and Zekara to mingle with the 160 participating artists. Hocine will produce and send to Johannesburg a work inspired by the world of football and the African continent hosting the event.
In March and April 2013, the city of Chaumont devotes a retrospective. On this occasion, Luc Chatel writes: "The painting of Ziani unfolds in genre and various subjects: history of Algeria, Venice, still lifes, portraits or horses. However, this plurality can not hide the constant quest that drives the artist's work: the celebration of light. With him everything is about nuance and subtlety. Hocine explores all the play of shadows and reflections, contrasts and gradients. In this tireless search for luminous variations, he immediately captivates the visitor's eye, leading him to question both the history of Algeria, the golden age of Eastern civilizations and the simple poetry of everyday objects. As a figurative painter, he creates from the real while drawing from the resources of the imagination, managing to give his paintings a dreamlike dimension. From this pluralistic approach is born the masterful work of one of the greatest figurative painters of North Africa.
In 2018, the city of Luxeuil-les-Bains solicits him for his orientalist works. This is how a dozen of his paintings join those of Paul-Elie Dubois at the museum of the Tour des Échevins, to constitute an exhibition entitled "Orientalism, views crossed between Paul-Elie Dubois and Hocine Ziani". The theme of the desert, including the Hoggar, brings together the two painters on the same poster from April 2 to October 12, 2019.
- The work
The use of a rich plastic vocabulary, in which realism, hyperrealism, impressionism and semi-abstraction interact, allows through a game of contrast between the first and second planes the spurt of the very special light that characterizes his works. These enrich the collections of government and presidential institutions in Algeria, France, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, the royal family of Saudi Arabia, and are also present in many private collections around the world.
- Official Acquisitions
Several of his works have been the subject of official acquisitions by the National Museum of Fine Arts in Algiers, since 1985 - The Chadli Museum, Algiers, 1984 to 1999 - The Cabinet of the President of the Algerian Republic, Algiers, 1985 to 1992 - President Fidel Castro, Havana, 1986 - Prince Rachid of Morocco, Rabat, 1987 - The Government of the Republic of Argentina, Buenos Aires, 1990 - The Ministry of Culture, Algiers, 1992 - The Assembly National, Algiers, 2001 - The Contemporary Art Museum Artéum, Châteauneuf-le-Rouge (Aix-en-Provence), 2001 - The Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Caracas, 2003 - The Constitutional Council, Algiers, 2007 - The Royal Family of Saudi Arabia, 2008 - The Dürr Foundation, Karlsruhe, 2015 - The Presidency of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, 2016 - The Museum of the City of Schwarzach, Germany, 2017.
- Trade shows
- 1979, Algiers: El-Mougar Gallery, 1st individual exhibition
- 1981, Algiers: El-Mougar Gallery, Group35
- 1983, Titograd: traveling exhibition Group35
- 1983, Sofia: traveling exhibition Group35
- 1990, Algiers: Palace of Culture, Bourdine group, Djemai, Kerbouche and Ziani
- 1993, Paris: Galerie de la Place (1993, 1996, 2005)
- 1998, Paris: Opera Gallery (1998, 2000, 2002, 2008)
- 2003, Paris: Gallery Pérahia, ex-Art-Cadre (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
- 1997, Singapore: Opera Gallery (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002)
- 1997, Paris: Salon of French Artists (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)
- 2000, New York: Opera Gallery (2000, 2001)
- 1994, Brussels: Brussels Stars Art Gallery
- 1995, Nîmes: South Gallery
- 1998, Luxembourg: Becker Gallery
- 1998, Saint-Dié: The European Biennale of the Thirty
- 2001, Utrecht: Oocker Gallery
- 1993, Strasbourg: Galerie Froessel (1993, 1995)
- 2001, Aix-en-Provence: Arteum Museum
- 2005, Sharjah: Art Museum
- 2006, Roanne: Museum of Fine Arts
- 2007, Lyon: Art-Club gallery, ex-Place gallery
- 2008, Dubai: Opera Gallery (2008, 2010)
- 2008, Thonon-les-Bains: Franco-Swiss meeting, guest of honor
- 2009, Abu Dhabi: Authority for Culture and Heritage
- 2009, Brandérion Cap l'Orient: Great Figuratives in Brittany (2009)
- 2009, Zillisheim: International Salon, guest of honor
- 2010, Johannesburg: representation of Algeria at the international exhibition of the countries qualified for the FIFA World Cup - Fifa
- 2010, Endingen (Germany): International Kunstmesse, guest of honor
- 2011, Paris: 13th Salon des Peintres du Marais, guest of honor
- 2012, Kaysersberg: Atmosphere of Venice, thematic exhibition
- 2012, Strasbourg: St-Art, one-man-show, Art-Frame Gallery
- 2013, Chaumont: at the Chapelle des Jésuites, retrospective organized by the city of Chaumont
- 2013, Strasbourg: Orient and Venice, Agora Gallery, Council of Europe
- 2014, Paris: Ad Vitam Aeternam, group exhibition (Brayer, Buffet, Dali, Laporte, Tobiasse, Toffoli, Weisbuch, Ziani), Pérahia gallery
- 2015, Rosheim, France: at St. Peter and Paul Church, solo exhibition "Praise of Wisdom"
- 2017, Luxeuil-les-Bains, Salon Art in the Street, Museum TowerEchevins, guest of honor.
- 2017, Schwarzach, Germany: at St. Peter and Paul Church, solo exhibition "The spirit of wine"
- 2018, Vittel: Vittel International Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, guest of honor
- 2019, Nogent: Salon Epon'Arts, guest of honor
- 2019, Duttlenheim: Art67, biennale 2019, godfather of the show
- 2019, Luxeuil-les-Bains: Exhibition at the museum of the Tour des Echevins, "Orientalism, views crossed between Paul-Elie Dubois and Hocine Ziani"
- 2019, Germany, at Auenheim Town Hall: solo exhibition "Ziani - yesterday and today".
