Ombre

Kent, Ohio – The School of Art Collection and Galleries at Kent State University is pleased to announce Ombre: Works by Massinissa Selmani, Friday, March 20 to Saturday, May 30, 2026, at the KSU Downtown Gallery, 141 East Main Street, Kent, Ohio.

Ombre (ظل) showcases several works from artist Massinissa Selmani (b. 1980, Algiers; active between France and Algeria), with a focus on the relationship between object and shadow. Through modest compositions shaped as much by void as by images, Selmani reveals the psychological weight of daily living. Buildings, figures and objects from his past mingle with snippets from the present, and both are collaged into surreal scenes that often find their compositions in the balance of light and dark.

Selmani is internationally recognized for his creative approach to drawing as it expands to print and video formats. He was a finalist for the Marcel Duchamp Prize in 2023 and received an honorable mention from curator Okwui Enwezor at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015. He was also the winner of the Art Collector Prize (France) and the SAM Art Projects Prize for Contemporary Art (France) in 2016.

Massinissa Selmani was born and raised in Algiers, Algeria. He now lives and works between Tours, France and Tizi-Ouzou, Algiers. Living between France and Algeria, Selmani witnesses the ongoing tense relationship between these nations and peoples. Although Algeria has been independent from France since 1962, the shadows of the past in both countries continue to impact their sense of self and current socio-political dynamics.

This exhibition is free and open to the public and is made possible with support from the Ohio Arts Council.