Blog > Paul Klee reminded me of Tunisia
Paul Klee reminded me of Tunisia
Travel Life Work
Paul Klee reminded me of Tunisia, because he too was deeply fascinated by it, and it permanently changed his painting style and his temperament. In particular, during a trip to Kairouan he stated that he felt literally “possessed by colour,” like a vision that would forever define his artistic style.
The colours in the paintings from this period are characterized by a quality that perhaps seeks to express the aesthetic “purity” of desert landscapes—made of wide open spaces, broad rectangular forms, expansive shapes, white and yellowish contrasts, minimal and essential, like the places that, beyond markets and urban centers, are typical of inland Tunisian villages. Perhaps he saw in them this essential simplicity, which I too noticed and which has remained in my heart ever since. I spent seven months in Tunisia due to a work assignment that allowed me to access parts of myself I had never previously paid attention to. At the office, I realized that the things I needed to learn were more numerous than those I was there to explain. From that trip onward, Klee understood that his inner world is best represented by aspects of the South, of the South in general. In him I recognize Klee, who is one of my favourite artists of all time, one I understand deeply.
Klee also traveled to Sicily in 1924, where he depicted some towns in the region. It can be observed how colour—essentially colour itself—became a central element; colour is what allows us to guess the possible forms.
