Hocine Ziani's life can be regarded as a novel or even as a fairy tale. Born in Algeria about 55 years ago from a very humble family, brought up in the same surrounding, there were no reasons whatsoever for him to become the international famous artist he is now. Except that as a little boy he had one and unique passion- which forced him to steal pieces of chalk from his school- drawing, drawing at all cost and anywhere. Nature, his childhood village, its inhabitants and his family were his favourite subjects, which he has reproduced over and over. Out of tenacity and perseverance and far from any cultural influence, Hocine Ziani has developed his personality and a way of painting proper to him. Ziani has worked his life long to improve his art, to impose his style, mingling the realism and hyperrealism of his foreground to the abstract aspects we can see in the background. Above all he is the painter of his native Algeria, of its particular light and shades. He has painted all the aspects of it, from the huge battle scenes which were ordered by the government and where he has mastered the perspective, the colour and the composition to avoid repetitions, to the most simple scenes of everyday life. Hocine Ziani has tried all styles: portraits, still-life, landscapes, historical paintings, fantasias, the splendour as well as the extreme simplicity of life in the Sahara. Little by little through the years Ziani has aimed at more sobriety and simplicity realizing that too many details, characters or objects would block the overview and weaken the composition of the painting. He has worked on the contrast between the foreground and the background having the latter faint into a luminous dust resembling a mirage. His work has thus gained in strength and power that are unequalled.

Clara Pozniakoff, french art critical

Official recognitions  

Acquisitions by:

1985 - National Art Museum, Algeria

1984 to 1999 - Army Central Museum, Algeria

1985 to 1992 - Republic President, Algeria

1986 - President Fidel Castro, Cuba

1987 - Prince Rachid of Morocco

1990 - History Museum, Buenos Aires, Argentina

1992 - Culture Ministry, Algeria

2000 - Post Museum, Paris, France

2001 - National Assembly, Algeria

2001 - Artéum, Art Contemporary Museum, Aix-en-Provence, France

2003 - President Hugo Chavez, Venezuela

2007 - Constitutional Council, Algeria

2008 - Royal Family, Ri y adh , Saudi Arabia