La vie rêvée d’Hajeri

Portrait d’Ahmed Hajeri, devenu peintre parisien

Abstract

Ahmed Hajeri is a French artist of Tunisian origin who lives and works in Paris. Born in 1948 in the village of Tazarka, in the Cap Bon region, he grew up in a very modest rural family. Orphaned at a young age, he initially trained as an electrician before moving to France at twenty. In Paris, while working as an electrical assembler, he applied for a draftsman position with the architect Roland Morand, who collaborated with Jean Dubuffet. Recognizing Hajeri’s talent, Morand introduced him to art and paved the way for him to become a painter. Following his 1978 debut exhibition at Galerie Messine, Hajeri fully embraced his artistic career. He gained early recognition from both audiences and Tunisian institutions during his first Tunis exhibition at Galerie Médina in 1985, later participating in numerous international shows. His works are now part of French public collections (CNAP), the Institut du monde arabe in Paris, the National Fund of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Tunisia, as well as private collections worldwide. Without formal academic training, Hajeri has developed a distinctive oeuvre that transcends trends, existing at the intersection of the real and the imaginary. His compositions feature floating figures, an anthropomorphic bestiary, and elements of Carthaginian civilization. Drawing inspiration from childhood memories and dreamlike states, he creates paintings, drawings, and poems imbued with imagination and mystery. This portrait, based on interviews and unpublished archives, chronicles the artist’s journey between Tunis and Paris, examining the themes and influences that have shaped his work and its critical reception.