Baya (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Baya Mahieddine
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Baya
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| Born |
Fatima Haddad
12 December 1931 Bordj El Kiffan, Algeria
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| Died | 9 November 1998 (aged 66) Blida, Algeria
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| Nationality | Algerian |
| Known for | Painting, ceramics |
| Movement | Surrealism, Naïve art |
| Spouse(s) | El Hadj Mahfoud Mahieddine |
Baya Mahieddine (Arabic: باية محي الدين), also known as Fatima Haddad (Arabic: فاطمة حداد), was a talented Algerian artist. She was born in Bordj El Kiffan, Algeria, on December 12, 1931. Baya became famous for her unique paintings and pottery. She taught herself everything she knew about art.
Even though Baya didn't give her art a specific name, art experts described it in many ways. They called her work surrealist, primitive, naive, and modern. Her first art show was in Paris when she was only sixteen. Famous artists like Pablo Picasso and André Breton noticed her amazing talent. Her art was shown in many places in France and Algeria. Some of her beautiful works even appeared on Algerian postage stamps. Baya passed away on November 9, 1998.
Life Story of Baya Mahieddine
Baya Mahieddine was born in 1931 in a place now called Bordj El Kiffan. Sadly, both her parents died when she was only five years old. Her grandmother then took care of her. When Baya was eleven, a French woman named Marguerite Caminat helped her. Marguerite lived in Algiers and supported Baya's artistic dreams.
Marguerite gave Baya a place to live and art supplies. She also encouraged Baya to keep creating art. Marguerite knew many people in the art world. In 1947, a French art dealer named Aimé Maeght visited her. Later that year, he showed Baya's art in a special exhibition at his gallery. A famous writer, André Breton, even wrote about Baya's art for the exhibition.
After her time in Paris, Baya went to Vallauris. There, she worked on making pottery. She met Pablo Picasso during this time. Picasso was very impressed by her pottery and paintings.
Baya later returned to Algeria. In 1953, she married El Hadj Mahfoud Mahieddine. He was a well-known musician. Baya did not paint for about ten years, from 1953 to 1963. This was during the Algerian War. During these years, she focused on raising her six children.
In 1963, Baya started painting again. She showed her new and old artworks in Algiers and Paris. She continued to create art until she died in 1998.
Baya's Amazing Artworks
Baya's paintings are full of bright, lively colors. She often painted women and their clothes. You can see belts, veils, and mysterious mother figures in her art. She also drew many everyday objects found in homes. These objects in her paintings do not have shadows.
Her art often shows a happy and colorful world of women. The figures in her paintings have smooth, flowing lines. Baya also created unique pictures of plants and animals. She drew unusual creatures like flying rabbits and birds as big as camels. These animals seem to come from magical stories, like "One Thousand and One Nights". Her art truly brings these imaginative worlds to life.
A Special Tribute
In 2018, Google Doodle honored Baya Mahieddine. They created a special drawing to celebrate her 87th birthday. This showed how important and inspiring her art remains.
