Rabia Kharis

Algeria – As you wander through the works of Algerian visual artist Marwa Al-Khair, you feel as if you are traveling deep into the Algerian desert—the land in which she was raised and grew up in its embrace, inspiring her to creatively depict it. A remarkable part of her work focuses on the desert woman in her traditional attire, the “Melhfa,” which reflects her identity and beauty.

Marwa Al-Khair is not merely a visual artist; she is a poet of color, a faithful guardian of desert memory, and a creator of Saharan life scenes in paintings that overflow with passion and wisdom. In her world, art becomes one of the highest forms of human expression.

She has participated in many festivals, including the 10th edition of the National Cultural Festival for Women’s Creativity, Women of the South, which sought to highlight the richness of southern Algeria. She has also taken part in the International Cultural Festival of Contemporary Visual Arts.

A native of the city of In Salah, known for its historic architecture of palaces and fortresses in the heart of the Algerian desert, and a graduate of the School of Fine Arts in Mostaganem in western Algeria, Marwa says her paintings embody the image of the creative desert woman with high craftsmanship. The desert woman, as she portrays, is not limited to traditional crafts and leather products, but excels in various artistic fields—from photography and oil painting to sand and earth art—presenting a complete model of Saharan female creativity.

She explains: “Painting is my hobby, which I have loved and practiced since childhood. What I express on my canvases reflects the curiosity that lives within me.” In her visual works, she relies on acrylic colors that breathe soul into her paintings and are not limited only to her desert environment. “I tried to break this barrier by using other colors that pulse with love, emotion, energy, and peace, and this is what distinguishes my work from that of other Saharan artists.”

Regarding the themes of her paintings, part of her work centers on the “desert woman.” She often depicts her wearing the Melhfa, the traditional women’s garment of the southern regions, usually dyed in bright colors such as pink, indigo blue, orange, and red. These colors reflect the spirit of the desert woman and her love of life despite its hardships. She deliberately captures expressive moments from the daily life of desert women, which are often overlooked. She consistently focuses on various psychological states such as strength and patience, and she also favors artworks with a strong heritage character.

She is inclined toward abstract art, which seeks to break away from traditional representation by using shapes, colors, patterns, and symbols to create its impact. As for the reason behind her choice of this style, she confirms that her curiosity is what drives her to explore imagination through this form of art.

Believing that every person has their own uniqueness and passion, Marwa Al-Khair says she has a special story with colors:
“Curiosity leads me to discover how a color is born, how it expresses itself, and how colors are able to stir positive emotions, optimism, and energy within us.