Yazid Oulab

Yazid Oulab was born in Constantine, Algeria, in 1958 and lives and works in Marseille. 

 Working across drawing, video, sculpture, and installation, Yazid Oulab explores and invents forms of visual writing. His works are shaped by spirituality, drawing from Sufi poetry, memories of his arrival in France, and references to the world of manual labor. Through this diverse range of influences, he creates open-ended works that invite multiple interpretations. Developing a highly personal visual language, Oulab’s practice reflects on humanism, spirituality, cultural exchange, and the transmission of knowledge across generations, while questioning ideas of identity and universality in art.  

During his residency at Atelier Calder, Oulab developed a new series of works centered on the theme of connection, using rope, wire, and large-scale sculptural forms. Drawing on an artisan’s approach, he used the tools and techniques of the construction industry in the creation of some of his works, notably through his exploration of the nail as a recurring motif. The nail referred both to the experiences of immigrant construction workers—a profession Oulab himself practiced—and to its symbolic presence within Christian tradition, particularly the Passion of Christ and the stigmata of Saint Francis. Through these layered references, Oulab created works that bring together personal history, cultural memory, and contemporary artistic expression.