(1934 – 2023)
Souhila Bel Bahar, born in Blida, Algeria, in 1934, was a pioneering painter who played a key role in advancing women’s presence in Algerian art. Alongside peers such as Aïcha Haddad, Fatiha Bisker, Djamila Bent Mohamed, and Kheira Flidjani, she navigated societal constraints, balancing artistic pursuits with family life in a culture where being a woman painter was often viewed negatively.
A self-taught artist, Bel Bahar made her official debuts in 1972 at 38 and exhibited widely throughout her career, both in Algeria and abroad. Notably, her works were featured at the National Museum of Fine Arts of Algiers in 1984, followed by a solo show at the Algerian Cultural Centre in Paris in 1986. That same year, she collaborated with Modern artist Baya Mahieddine on a joint exhibition at the French Cultural Centre of Algiers.
Celebrated with a retrospective at the National Museum of Fine Arts in 2008, she was further honoured in 2016 when the museum published Il pleut des jasmins sur Alger, a biography written by her daughter, Dalila Bel Bahar-Hafiz. In 2018, Algeria recognised her contributions with the National Order of Merit.
Her works are part of prestigious collections, including the National Museum of Fine Arts of Algiers, the Dinet Museum in Bou Saâda, the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, and the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah. Bel Bahar passed away on 23 March 2023, aged 89.
© Souhila Bel Bahar Estate