Biography
Taysir Batniji (b. 1966, Gaza) studied art at Al-Najah University in Nablus, Palestine. In 1994, he was awarded a fellowship to study at the National School Arts of Bourges, France. Since then, he has divided his time between France and Palestine as the two cultures helped Batniji develop his multi-media practice which encompasses drawing, installation, photography, video and performance. Often tinged with impermanence and fragility, Batniji’s artworks draw from his subjective story, and also from current events and history. He was awarded the Abraaj Group Art Prize in 2012 and has participated in a number of exhibitions, biennials and residencies worldwide. His work has been shown in Europe, United States of America, Canada and West Asia, including at the Venice Biennale; Jeu de Paume, Paris; Mathaf, Doha; Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin; Kunsthalle Wien; and Witte de With, Rotterdam.