The work of the German-Algerian artist Hamid Zénati (1944-2022) is defined by a sheer endless variety of forms, patterns, and combinations of colors, materials, and techniques. His energetic compositions span textiles, ceramics, objects, and furniture, as well as performative photographs, blurring the lines between art, fashion, design, performance, and interior design. While he was known among friends and family for the T-shirts and sweaters he created for them, he largely remained unknown beyond that circle throughout his life.

As a self-taught artist with a background as a teacher, translator, and photographer, Zénati produced powerful yet playful compositions using his signature stencil technique, which he described as an “all-over” principle. This approach allowed him to incorporate various stimuli into his work. His creative process drew inspiration from the visual elements of diverse cultures, art movements, techniques, and media, which he reinterpreted in a striking manner, developing his own unique language. Music, literature, and science influenced his art, as did his fascination with the natural world, particularly plants and animals. He admired the infinite variety of forms found in nature and often watched nature films while working. His extensive collection of books about underwater worlds, insects, birds, and other natural phenomena helped shape a distinct universe that combined impressions from the natural sciences with imagined creatures.

Zénati grew up in Algiers during the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962), followed by years of political unrest that led to the Black Decade (1992-2002). He also faced precarious living conditions in Germany due to his unclear legal residency status for many years. This diasporic life – torn between two countries and existing in a state of psychological and economic limbo – was marked by both hypervisibility and invisibility, aspects that were critical to the artist’s story. Although these factors likely influenced his career, they did not diminish the vibrancy of his work, which is characterized by a relentless, anarchic drive for freedom and non-conformity. Impelled by an overwhelming creative urge, Zénati left behind more than a thousand works for posterity.