MENSI

« MENSI » ? Forgotten in Tunisian? Well, actually, this is probably what happened to these letters “ⵎⴻⵏⵙⵉ”: “mensi”, dinner in Tamazrat’s Amazigh dialect...

I still remember my trip to this village, in southern Tunisia, 8 years ago. The warmness of its locals still taints my memories. Food was their love language: every morning and evening became occasions to discover their culture while enjoying an unavoidable part of it. Smiles and laughs in a troglodyte house while sharing olive oil, traditional bread called “Aghroum”, eggs, pepper, fruits, and obviously, the staple: mint tea.

This painting is a tribute to this rich, astonishing culture that has to be remembered as part of our Tunisian heritage. The food on the table only captures a moment of joy, but there is a huge historical background, filled with local legends, sounds, language and specialities, which are represented by an accumulation of Amazigh symbols beyond the scene, such as the bird, diamond, spider...

The single window in the upper left corner, paired with the oblique perspective, recalls the contrast between the narrowness of these towns and troglodyte houses, and the impressive amount of culture they conceal inside, like a tiny luxury case protecting a rare pearl. Even though Arabic culture, symbolized by a pattern of Arabic letters covering a bottle of olive oil in the first plan (or even a personal touch of Mahres specialities like Jwejem and Ftayer) has tainted Tamazrat, its unique Amazigh heritage is still protected by the locals, evoked by Tifinagh alphabet in the background.

Indeed, this still life painting is my take to a particular mission: preserving the still alive Amazigh heritage in Tunisia, never let it die, never let it “mensi”!