Portrait of Baya 1931-1998
Works of Art from National Museums (BAYA MAHIEDDINE)
BAYA MAHIEDDINE was born on December 12, 1931 in Bordj El Kiffan in Algiers. Orphaned at five years old, Baya, whose real name is Fatma HADDAD, will never attend school. She was raised by her grandmother in great destitution.
At ten years old, Baya was noticed by a young French woman, Marguerite BENHOURA, whom she considered her adoptive mother. Baya was welcomed in Algiers by the latter who provided her with paper, pencils and gouache.
The sculptor and friend of Marguerite, Jean PERISSAC, attracted by his gouaches, showed them to Aimé MAEGHT who was passing through Algiers and who immediately decided to have them exhibited in Paris. It was Baya's first exhibition, 1947, with an important preface by André BRETON, who wondered how a child could have immediately discovered the secrets that MATISSE took 60 years to discover.
As for BRAQUE, he was amazed by Baya's works, with their pure drawing and fascinating colors.
In 1948, Baya met Picasso in Vallauris and in 1953, she married "El Hadj Mahfoud MAHIEDDINE", master of Andalusian music and has lived in Blida since that date.
During the war of liberation, Baya ceased all artistic activity. After independence, in 1963, she organized a major exhibition at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Algiers.
After several exhibitions in Algeria and across different countries around the world, Baya was honored by a number of personalities including President CHADLI BENDJEDID in 1987, the French President FRANÇOIS MITTERAND in 1982, the Secretary General of UNESCO...
His works are currently in public collections of various museums around the world.
On November 9, 1998, Baya left us, leaving behind a rich artistic journey spanning more than 50 years.
BAYA MAHIEDDINE was born on December 12, 1931 in Bordj El Kiffan in Algiers. Orphaned at five years old, Baya, whose real name is Fatma HADDAD, will never attend school. She was raised by her grandmother in great destitution.
At ten years old, Baya was noticed by a young French woman, Marguerite BENHOURA, whom she considered her adoptive mother. Baya was welcomed in Algiers by the latter who provided her with paper, pencils and gouache.
The sculptor and friend of Marguerite, Jean PERISSAC, attracted by his gouaches, showed them to Aimé MAEGHT who was passing through Algiers and who immediately decided to have them exhibited in Paris. It was Baya's first exhibition, 1947, with an important preface by André BRETON, who wondered how a child could have immediately discovered the secrets that MATISSE took 60 years to discover.
As for BRAQUE, he was amazed by Baya's works, with their pure drawing and fascinating colors.
In 1948, Baya met Picasso in Vallauris and in 1953, she married "El Hadj Mahfoud MAHIEDDINE", master of Andalusian music and has lived in Blida since that date.
During the war of liberation, Baya ceased all artistic activity. After independence, in 1963, she organized a major exhibition at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Algiers.
After several exhibitions in Algeria and across different countries around the world, Baya was honored by a number of personalities including President CHADLI BENDJEDID in 1987, the French President FRANÇOIS MITTERAND in 1982, the Secretary General of UNESCO...
His works are currently in public collections of various museums around the world.
On November 9, 1998, Baya left us, leaving behind a rich artistic journey spanning more than 50 years.