Painting by Ridha Bettaieb: “Composition”

This stamp honors the painter Ridha Bettaieb (1939-2003) through one of his major works simply entitled “Composition”. The painting presents an abstract and poetic vision of traditional Tunisian architecture. The work is characterized by a juxtaposition of blocks of bright and contrasting colors. There we can see the white structures of a medina or a coastal village (like Sidi Bou Saïd), topped by a deep blue sky where a stylized star seems to float. The openings and doors are suggested by touches of turquoise blue and black.Ridha Bettaieb belongs to this generation of Tunisian artists who knew how to appropriate the codes of modern abstraction to reinterpret light and local forms. His painting plays on the geometrization of space, transforming the urban landscape into a harmony of colored surfaces.
This philatelic issue celebrates the modernity of Tunisian culture. By choosing a work that moves away from classical realism, the Tunisian Post promotes the freedom of creation and the influence of the Tunisian school of painting on the international scene.