Hacène Benaboura was a self-taught Algerian painter whose work is deeply rooted in Algiers and its popular environment. He developed a visual language closely tied to the Casbah, painting its alleys, squares, and everyday scenes with both documentary precision and poetic sensitivity.

Benaboura’s paintings are marked by a particular attention to traditional architecture, shadow effects, and urban atmospheres. Through his views of Algiers, he contributed to the emergence of an Algerian perspective on the city, distinct from European picturesque orientalism. His work reflects an intimate, lived understanding of the Casbah and its rhythms.

Today, Benaboura’s oeuvre stands as an invaluable testimony to the visual memory of the C...