Haifa Melliti France
Haïfa Melliti is a Franco-Tunisian painter, intuitive pianist and author based in Montpellier. Each canvas in her Goddesses of Light series begins with a piano improvisation and carries its own melody. Drawing on her Tunisian heritage, she brings women from different cultures together through painting, live piano and workshops. She is a member of ITAC.
My paintings begin at the piano. I improvise until a melody suggests a colour, a figure or a gesture. I carry that first impression to the canvas, where I work mainly in acrylic and oil. Each painting in my *Goddesses of Light* series keeps the melody that accompanied its creation. When I exhibit the work, I bring the paintings and their music together so the audience can see the images and hear how they began.
My visual language draws on my Tunisian and Mediterranean roots. I paint women wearing red chechias, surrounded by doves, candles, protective eyes and musical notes. In *Le Royaume des Déesses de Lumière*, the notes rise into the sky while a protective eye guards the kingdom and a dove watches over the women. I use these symbols to explore how women carry memories and pass them on through objects, gestures and stories.
Through exhibitions, live piano and guided workshops, I share this process with others. In a workshop, I invite participants to begin with a memory of their own. It might be a place, a sound or an object they associate with someone in their family. They can turn that memory into a painting and, if they wish, tell the group what it holds for them. This is how I approach cultural dialogue through art. My paintings offer a starting point rooted in Tunisia, and each participant brings something of her own culture to the conversation.
