Taysir Batniji's Stunning Pencil Shaving Installation

Taysir Batniji is truly a jack of all trades in the art world. Born in Gaza in 1966, Batniji has studied and created art all over the world. He attended Al-Najah University in Palestine, the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Bourges Université Paris 8 and the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Marseille in France, and the Stage à l’Académie des Beaux Arts de Naples in Italy. He has had residencies in Germany, Senegal, France, and Switzerland, and has had his work displayed in exhibitions all across Europe and the Middle East. He splits his time living and working between Paris, France and Palestine.

Although trained as a painter, there is no type of art that Batniji doesn’t do. From drawing and painting to film and performance, his work is thoughtful and moving. His art is inspired by and often focuses on the social, cultural, and political realities of Palestine, including the limitation of movement and the occupation of liminal states. He studies the role of the artist as both witness to and shaping force of the world around him. He doesn’t stop there, however – other media he has used to create stunning works of art include stone, scotch tape, and soap. He even spent time as Artist in Resident at a soap factory, manufacturing and carving soap.

His installation Hannoun – “poppy” in English – features scattered red pencil shavings on the ground that appear like a field of poppies. Taysir wishes for the installation to “evoke notions of memory, erasure, non-being, and destruction/construction or (deconstruction /restitution).” In addition to this symbolism, the installation recalls the way that Batniji would continually sharpen pencils to avoid completing repetitive exercises in school. Batniji notes that his art often works through time, seeking to “hold meaning beyond the event.” It is more about the act of creation than about the product itself, which is perhaps why even his products appear dynamic.