Born in Algiers, Algeria 1966

Yahiaoui’s origins lie in Azzefoun (Kabylie). He He grew up in the Casbah of Algiers. This experience has influenced his art and led him to become an activist against social injustice and torture. Yahiaoui also writes poetry, influenced by a range of poets and his strong family tradition of oral poetry. He attended the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Algiers, 1985-9, and left Algeria in 1990 to attend the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Nantes, with a scholarship. Yahiaoui’s work has been included in a number of exhibitions. He has lived and worked in Paris since 1992.