(b. 1991, Italy) lives and works between al-Qayrawan (Tunisia) and Milan.
Following the belief that each individual is inextricably connected to their family tree and the psychological universe of their ancestors, Ben Hamouda attempts to master her influences in a contemporary and constantly changing landscape. Born into a Muslim community as the daughter of an Islamic calligrapher, Ben Hamouda navigates and confronts her generational heritage through what she calls a shamanic process – creating works that act as gestural exorcisms of the expectations placed upon her by tradition and the politicized present, drawing their power from the urgency of expression. Her visual language, which translates into a broad range of formal approaches, is steeped in cultural-religious symbology and rituals.
Monia Ben Hamouda has previously exhibited internationally in galleries and institutions including MAXXI (Rome); ChertLüdde (Berlin); Casa Encendida (Madrid); Swiss Institute (Rome); Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (Riga); Heidelberger Kunstverein (Heidelberger); MUDEC (Rome) among others.