HOURIA NIATI MA Fine Art, Algeria/Britain


Born: Khemis-Miliana (Ex-Affreville) Algeria.

Based: London UK since 1977.

Education: Diploma Community Arts, Algiers. Diploma Fine Art at Croydon College of Art. Ma Fine Art at Middlesex University.



Group exhibitions / Art performance

  • 2011-2012 - "3 Women Artists from Ealing".
  • 2009-2010 - "An Ode to My Sisters", touring 11 theatres in England as a vocalist in a theatrical play.
    Algiers Art Biennial "The Recessionists",Rumwell Park, Rumwell ,Taunton, Somerset.
    Talk and performance, The Rotary club, Ultrech, Holland.
  • 2008-2009 - "Breaking the Veil", Clinton Foundation , Little Rock, USA.
    "Breaking the Veil", The University of Southern Mississipi's College of Arts and letters.
    "Breaking the Veil", Kennedy Center, Washington DC.
  • 2007-2008 - British museum, "Habiboun" 9th C Arab-Andalusian songs recital.
    Leighton House Museum, "Habiboun" 9th C Arab-Andalusian songs recital.
    "Mediterraneo..." The Italian Institute, London.
  • 2005-2006 - Circulo del Arte Galeria, Barcelona.
    "Come to the Tent", Ealing, London (art performance).
    "Never too Late", British Museum, art Performance combining singing and video clips.
  • 2004-2005 - Museo di Storia Contemporaria Milano, Italy.
    Placio del Reale, Napoli,Italy
    "Three Women Artists in Ealing", The Stables Gallery, Ealing London UK.
    The Ark Gallery, Ealing, London.
  • 2003-2004 - "Harem Fantasies". CCCB Barcelona International Art Festival.
    Assilah, Morocco The Art of Celebration, Kingston Museum Art Gallery.
    Le 20eme Siecle Dans L'Art Algerien, Chateau Borely Marseille (Algerie 2003) et ensuite L'Orangerie du Senat Paris.
    "Breaking the Veils", Modern art Museum Valencia Spain.
    "Entertaining Mr Soane", PM Gallery and House, London.UK.
  • 2002-2003 - Breaking the Veils, organised by The Royal Society of Fine Arts,Jordan and FAM, Greece Museum of Porte D'Amboise, Medieval Town, Rhodes. Touring the world Breaking the Veils, UNESCO Galerie Paris.
  • 2001 - Open, Pitshanger Manor Gallery, London.
  • 2000-2001 - The Palace of the Master Museum, Rhodos, Greece as part of First Forum of the FAM ( Women Art Mediterranean ).
  • 1998-2000 - Dialogue of the Present UK touring exhibition: Brunai Gallery, SOAS, London
    Pitshanger Manor Gallery, London.
    Brighton University Gallery.
    Hot Bath Gallery, Bath.
    Plymouth Arts Centre
  • 1998 - Mediterranea, Bruxelles, Belgium.
  • 1997-1998 - Cross/ing, USA touring exhibition: Track 16 Gallery, Santa Monica, California.
    Museum of the African Art, Tampa, Florida.
    Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, Florida.
    Contemporary African Women Artists at the Herbert Johnson Museum.
    Cornell University, New York.
    Third International Biennial of Arts, Sharjah, UAE
  • 1994-1996 - New Visions, Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, Florida, USA.
    Forces of Change, The First Arab Women Artists Exhibition touring USA:
    Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek Civic Centre, California.
    Gwinnett Art Centre, Duluth.
    Giorgia Nexus Contemporary Arts Centre, Atlanta.
    Wolson Galleries, Miami, Florida.
    Chicago Cultural Centre, Chicago.
    National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC.
  • 1991-1992 - The Capsule Gallery, London Exchange and Art, Centre 181 Gallery, London
  • 1990-1991 - Open Studios, The Hetley Studios, ACAVA, London. Four x 4, Harris Museum, Preston
  • 1988-1989 - Mystery and Metaphor, touring the Midlands.
    Ikon gallery, Birmingham.
    Forms of Intuition, The Cartwright Hall Museum, Bradford.
    Contemporary Art from the Islamic World, concourse Gallery, The Barbican Centre.
  • 1987-1988 - The Kufa Gallery, London. The Central Spaces, London
  • 1986-1987 - From Two Worlds, the Whitechapel Gallery, London.
    From Two Worlds, the Fruit Market Gallery, Edinburgh.
    International Art Fair Show, Olympia, London.
    Quatre Peintres Au Feminin, Galerie Issiakhem, Algiers.
  • 1985-1986 - Open Exhibition, Riverside Studios, London. Third World Within, the Brixton Art Gallery, London.
  • 1984-1985 - The Battersea Art Centre, London. La Galerie de CCWA, Algiers.
    Into the Open, Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield.
    Into the Open, The Castle Museum, Nottingham.
    Into the Open, Media Workshop Gallery,Newcastle.
    International Art Fair Show, Olympia London
  • 1983-1984 - The Africa Centre, London.
    The Westbourne Gallery, London

Solo exhibitions

  • 2011 - June - "Allegories. A Quest for Search", Video installation and digital prints on canvas at the Watermans arts Centre, London.
    July - "Burning Summer", A series of Drawings.
    Crispins Gallery, Ealing, a series of oil Pastels.
  • 2005 - "ID/entite", Africa 2005, Manchester and London.
  • 2003 - "Autoportrait Interrogatif", Galerie Bretesche, Paris, France.
  • 1992-1995 - Open Studios, ACAVA, London
  • 1990-1991 - Rochan Gallery, London.
    Small Mansion Art Gallery, London.
    SCOLA Gallery, Sutton, Surrey
  • 1988-1989 - The Africa Centre, London.
    The Central Spaces, ACAVA, London.
  • 1985-1987 - "The Coming Back Show", The Art Show Gallery, London.
    "One Day show", The Smith's Gallery, London.
    Maison de la Culture, Courbevoie, France
  • 1984-1985 - "Delirium", The Africa Centre, London.
    "Echoes", The art show Gallery, London.
    "Metaphores", Galerie du CCWA, Algiers.
    "Repercussions", Maison de la Culture, Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria.
    First exhibition with her father, Khelifa Niati, who was a self-taught landscape painter and who died in 1964. The exhibition was part of the Annual Cultural Festival of Khemis - Miliana.
    Le Centre Cultural, Ain Defla, Algeria La Bibliotheque, Chlef, Algeria.

Art Performance


Houria Niati likes to accompany her exhibitions with a live singing performance. She was trained to sing arab-andalusian songs from the 9thC repertoire generated in Cordoba (Spain). Very young, Niati discovered the extraordinary word of the Arab-Andalusian music and had a deep connection with Ziriab Ibn Nafi who was a composer and oudist who lived in exile in Andalusia (9thC Spain). Wherever she exhibited her work, the singing was a contribution to her work. She made a lot of research on the music and began to fuse painting and singing.

Her art performances are a fusion of French and English texts that Niati writes and she invites all kind of musicians to contribute. But sometimes she uses only her voice in the most powerful and unique style. She uses videos clips and digital arts to make the message even more fascinating. Now she works with The Spanish Guitarist Miguel Moreno as "Habiboun".