The Mosaic Voice of Djerba

visual artist from the island of Djerba, chose mosaic as his language to translate human values and popular memory. His works go beyond aesthetic beauty, carrying social, political, and cultural messages that often resonate widely with audiences. Behind this artistic journey stands an avid reader of translated literature, deeply attached to Russian writers ،especially Dostoevsky، whose profound texts inspire him in shaping his artworks.

Zioud is strongly present in the cultural scene, participating in major local and national exhibitions, and has crossed borders to showcase his works in Japan and Saudi Arabia. He decorated Tunisia’s pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, with a massive mosaic panel depicting an ancient olive tree measuring 4.5 × 7 meters, a project that took three months of dedicated work. His message through this piece was to present the olive tree as a symbol of authenticity and connection to the land—a collective memory that preserves shared history and grants strength to endure, as he stated in one of his interviews.

Among his works are also pieces with human and political dimensions, such as a mosaic portrait of the poet Mahmoud Darwish in the Riyadh neighborhood (the “small quarter”) of Djerba, where he sought to immortalize the voice of Palestine in the heart of the island. This mosaic remains prominent in the alleys of the old quarter, standing as a testimony to the defense of Palestine and the rejection of imposing a newly invented name on the historic neighborhood.

He also created a widely acclaimed work commemorating a colorful local figure from Houmt Souk: Uncle Ahmed Dahsa, the blind town crier who roamed the alleys unaided, announcing lost items or deaths while repeating the same chant: “O passerby, you shall gain; O comer, you shall gain; O you who pray upon the Prophet, you shall rejoice and gain; O Opener, O Provider, who makes every door easy; O Lord, at Your door, bring us companions, for You are the Most Merciful…” Zioud transformed this piece of popular memory into a vibrant artwork, incorporating his knowledge of Braille to inscribe Dahsa’s famous words as a tactile complement to the mosaic—an ingenious gesture allowing the blind to feel and read the tribute.

But Tayeb Zioud is not only an artist; he is also an educator in vocational training and a prominent community activist. He worked for a long period in El Jem, where he left a positive mark and honed his skills in mosaic art. He played a decisive role in establishing a vocational training center for crafts in Djerba, preventing a powerful family before the revolution from seizing the premises of the traditional industries office. That site later became the Craft Village in Houmt Souk—a space that bridges heritage and local development.

Zioud is a distinctive social figure, descending from a family of fishermen. He spent his childhood accompanying his father with nets, traps, and fishing gear. This life experience at sea enriched his artistic reservoir, adding human depth and a strong bond with popular memory to his works.

Critics and observers see in his creations a blend of realism and social commitment. One wrote: “Zioud’s mosaics are not mere decoration; they are visual texts that summon memory and defend values.” Another remarked: “The son of the island who turned stones into poems, and mosaics into stances.”

Through this fusion of art and social engagement, Tayeb Zioud embodies the model of an artist who harnesses his talent to defend human causes and revive collective memory—bridging national presence with global reach, and combining authenticity with boldness in expression.