PERSONAL: Tunisian artist reflects every-day life in sculptures made from scrap

Record ID: 1736774

  • Title: PERSONAL: Tunisian artist reflects every-day life in sculptures made from scrap
  • Date: 7th August 2023
  • Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (AUGUST 3, 2023) (REUTERS) (PART MUTE) VARIOUS OF TIMELAPSE OF TUNISIAN ARTIST ZOUHAIR EL BAKHRI WELDING SCRAP TO TURN IT INTO ONE OF HIS SCULPTURES (MUTE) VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI WELDING SCRAP VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI'S SCULPTURES WHICH HE MADE FROM SCRAP METAL TUNIS, TUNISIA (AUGUST 2, 2023) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN ARTIST, ZOUHAIR EL BAKHRI, SAYING: "I collect scraps from the garbage, the sea, and on the road – from everywhere. I gather all sorts of scrap and use them to create beautiful art sculptures." TUNIS, TUNISIA (AUGUST 3, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI WALKING ON BEACH SEARCHING FOR SCRAP EL BAKHRI COLLECTING SCRAP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN ARTIST, ZOUHAIR EL BAKHRI, SAYING: “Look at all this beautiful junk we can work with, even though it's polluting the environment. This place is by the sea, and here we have aluminium." EL BAKHRI COLLECTING SCRAP EL BAKHRI OPENING THE DOOR OF HIS SHOP EL BAKHRI CUTTING IRON TUNIS, TUNISIA (AUGUST 2, 2023) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN ARTIST, ZOUHAIR EL BAKHRI, SAYING: "I don't draw with my hands; I draw with metal and scrap. I don't imagine a picture and then transfer it onto a canvas, I imagine it first and most of the time, I envision peoples stories." VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI'S SCULPTURES OUTSIDE HIS SHOP VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN ARTIST, ZOUHAIR EL BAKHRI, SAYING: "When I take part in group exhibitions, I hear them say, 'Look, the illiterate has arrived.' How can he create all these sculptures while being illiterate? Once, I attended an exhibition in a company about a month ago. The company's owner asked me how I create these sculptures. He said, 'I can't believe it's really you.' The person who creates these sculptures must be an engineer, and that there’s someone who is drawing for me, and another one who plans everything and that I'm only responsible for the welding. I felt goosebumps and my tears came down and I laughed because I couldn’t respond to evil with more evil.” VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI SCULPTURES INSIDE HIS SHOP VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI SEARCHING THROUGH SCRAP INSIDE HIS SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN ARTIST, ZOUHAIR EL BAKHRI, SAYING: “I faced a lot of bullying, but that only strengthened my resolve and determination." EL BAKHRI WORKING INSIDE HIS SHOP VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI'S SCULPTURES ART OUTSIDE HIS SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN ARTIST, ZOUHAIR EL BAKHRI, SAYING: “Despite challenges, you can achieve your goals and hold onto your dreams. Despite society's harshness, don't pay attention to others. On the contrary, every instance of bullying will only make you stronger." VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI WELDING ONE OF HIS SCULPTURES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN ARTIST, ZOUHAIR EL BAKHRI, SAYING: "I don't have friends but I coexist with people. All these sculptures tell stories of people – joy, sadness, those who have been released from prison, those who have gone through divorce, and much more. Everything belongs to people, and these stories remain and live with me." VARIOUS OF EL BAKHRI’S SCULPTURES
  • Embargoed: 21st August 2023 09:42
  • Keywords: Art Recycling Tunisia Upcycling
  • Location: TUNIS, TUNISIA
  • City: TUNIS, TUNISIA
  • Country: Tunisia
  • Topics: Africa,Art,Arts/Culture/Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA001278507082023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Tunisian artist Zouhair El Bakhri has carved out a unique artistic world for himself, where he welds scrap, factory remains, and discarded industrial material into works of art.
    Inside his small workshop in Tunis, accompanied by his hammer and other tools, is where Bakhri creates his own world.
    There, he begins and ends his day, which he describes as filled with events and stories that he portrays through his artistic touch and shapes with his own two hands.
    El Bakhri said he collects scraps and iron remnants to sculpt stories from reality, symbolizing joy, sorrow, desire, and deprivation in their various forms.
    El Bakhri has turned his profession into his source of income. The young artist hopes that his work will gain recognition outside Tunisia among art enthusiasts.
    (Production: Jihed Abidellaoui)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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