Nadia Ayari (b. 1981, Tunis, Tunisia) was raised in religiously tolerant Tunisia, her earlier work has broached political subject matter in an oblique manner. For the past decade the artist has turned her attention to floral and plant motifs. Rendered oil on linen, Ayari’s practice is notable for its exquisitely textured surfaces and dense, rich palettes. You can see how she translated her style into a coloring book page in Between the Lines: An RxART Coloring Book by Contemporary Artists – Volume 9.
Ayari received an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design and attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Her work is included in numerous international shows, biennales and publications including the U.S. pavilion at the 12th Cairo International Biennale (2010), the 3rd Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art (2011), MoMA PS1’s Greater New York (2021), and many more. Her work is featured in Phaidon’s recent publication Great Women Painters