Le Violon Bleu Gallery Presents “RÉCIT / STORY”: An Immersive Journey into the Works of Sadok Gmach
Le Violon Bleu Gallery is honored to announce the opening of “RÉCIT,” a major solo exhibition dedicated to the work of the late Sadok Gmach. The event will start with an opening reception (vernissage) on May 31, 2026, and will run through July 15, 2026, offering a retrospective look at an artistic career that defined the history of modernity in Tunisia.
The exhibition invites the public to discover a body of work that is both deeply introspective and firmly rooted in its time. Born in Tunis on August 2, 1940, Sadok Gmach emerged as a central figure in the contemporary art scene, shaping his artistic identity in the aftermath of independence, a pivotal moment when the nation was redefining its cultural landscape.
As early as 1964, he became part of a movement of renewal by co-founding the "Groupe des Six"(The Group of Six) a major initiative aimed at breaking away from dominant folkloric trends in favor of a rigorous and resolutely modern plastic research.
Gmach’s path was one of constant exploration, enriched by significant residencies at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris and in West Berlin between 1969 and 1971. These years of creative exile allowed his work to reach a new level of maturity, oscillating between compositions on the edge of abstraction and a figuration imbued with the visual energy of Pop Art.
From his early works, influenced by the emotional intensity of Modigliani, to his later explorations of Islamic miniatures and the architecture of the Medina, Gmach articulated a unique visual language at the intersection of international networks and an authentic Tunisian sensibility.
Described by critics as a "painter-witness," Sadok Gmach dedicated the final decades of his life to contemplation, particularly from La Goulette, where he observed the rhythms of the sea and daily life. His canvases capture suspended moments, silent figures, and transitional spaces where time appears to stretch. “RÉCIT” thus unveils a lifetime of creation where personal memory dialogues with collective history, revealing the artist's essential role in the evolution of North African plastic arts.
“Récit/Story” Solo Show Sadok Gmach
Vernissage : Sunday, May 31, 2026, starting at 11:00 AM
Exhibition Dates: May 31 to July 15, 2026
Press Contact: Mariem Letaief
Mail: mariem@leviolonbleugallery.com
