Priscilla Benyahia

Photo: Jules Bezençon

Priscilla Benyahia (born in 1999) is a French-Algerian artist based in Paris, who recently graduated from La Villa Arson in Nice (2023). Her multidisciplinary practice draws on fictional and non-fictional narratives. Her work explores the space between the literal, irony, and wordplays, using cultural and formal references. Materials are chosen for their homonymous or historical significance, transforming narration and language into artworks. Her art often features language games and the interplay between the literal and the metaphorical, creating shifts in meaning that introduce a comedic element. Recurring themes in her work include the relationship between magic and labor, domesticity and technology.

Benyahia has participated in numerous group shows, has performed and given readings at various venues. She has also curated exhibitions, undertaken a residency, and conducted workshops around hair felting and hair work in collaboration with Matter of Trust, an organization that creates hair mats to clean up oil spills.

Priscilla Benyahia is a participant of the Onassis AiR Extended Research Residencies program for 2024/25.