Hédy Gobaa

Frêne

2017

Hédy Gobaa is bi-national, with citizenship in both Tunisia and France. Having grown up in Tunisia until the age of 16, they then pursued an education in Visual Art in France from 1996 to 2005. After returning to Tunisia, they exhibited their artwork from 2007 to 2010, up until the start of the Arab Spring. Seeking greater artistic freedom and an experimental practice, they relocated to Montreal in 2013 to make a living from their painting. Eventually, they enrolled in a PhD program for Art Studies and Practice, obtaining their degree in November of 2018. Upon arriving in Montreal, the artist found that their previous paintings and exhibitions from their time in Tunisia had not been taken into account. This was partly due to the difficulty of bringing them along and also due to a general lack of interest in Maghrebian art among the local art community. As a newcomer, it was also challenging to convey the political reality that they had experienced, when their experiences were not well understood by others. To overcome these obstacles, the artist developed a strategy aimed at unifying Tunisia and Quebec, despite their many differences including geographical, social, and economic disparities. They broadened their perspective to include an ultra-connected, globalized space, and worked towards creating a bridge to connect these two cultural poles.