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The Portugal News

Leila Chouikha, who expresses abstract art with dynamic lines, vivid colours, and a philosophy of inner freedom

Newspaper: Portugal resident

INSIDE, Lagos & the western Algarve - December / March 2024

A family fo talents - The sisters, Leila and Jasmin Chouikha, paint in completely different styles Born in Switzerland, Leila and Jasmin Chouikha grew up surrounded by art, in a house where the paintings and statues of their father (from Tunisia), a recognized photographer, painter, and sculptor, were everywhere. Unfortunately, he passed away when they were still very young, but they could feel his presence through his artworks, which made their connection to art inevitable. “It’s in our blood “, commented Leila. The sisters recognized that their father was very talented and that his paintings look like a combination of their Artwork. Their sense of imagination comes not only from their father but other relatives as well, such as their grandfather Werner and great uncles from Switzerland, as well as their uncles from Tunisia. “We come from a very artistic family,” the sisters agreed. They both started painting as children, just as a hobby, and as adults, they first followed other career paths: Leila, one year older than Jasmin, studied Hotel Management and later worked as a dealer at the Swiss Casino, whilst Jasmin was part of the entertainment crew on cruise ships around the world. Eventually the sisters opened and ran a successful cocktail bar in Switzerland for three years, where Jasmin exhibited and sold her first works. Business was good, and still they decided, it was time to try something different. “It was time for a change”, Jasmin recalled. In 2011 her desire to go travelling and to show her daughter (only 2 years old back then) grew so strong, that the young mother went on an “around the world trip” / a year away, where she got more inspiration from other cultures, and she then also worked with Aboriginal artists in Australia. At the same time, Leila fulfilled one of her dreams. She went to Hollywood to study Method Acting, where she met famous actors like Eddie Murphy, and she worked together with Steve Railsback as her mentor. She studied hard and enjoyed celebrity events such as the "Golden Globes". In the meantime, Leila and Jasmin's mother moved to Portugal. Leila came back from Hollywood to visit her mother in Lagos in 2012, after a year of learning and glamour. And so did Jasmin with her daughter when her world tour ended. They never returned to Switzerland. Portugal became home. Besides being an artist, Jasmin works as a skipper and as an interpreter. Since moving to Lagos, she has opened three different galleries. Leila, who started ballet when she was four years old and did group dancing later, and even was a choreographer, decided to devote herself to her passion and explore Oriental dance. Portugal gave her the opportunity to do what she liked to do. As a single mum with two children, now age 4 and 5, Leila also took up painting professionally and exploring her spiritual connection. She likes to paint outdoors. “It’s just me, all the angels and spirits around me and my painting,” she revealed, adding that she sees which colors she is going to use, but not the shapes. Jasmin, on the other hand, chooses the place to paint, inside or outside, depending on her inspiration and, while Leila is spontaneous, Jasmin knows exactly what she is going to paint before she starts. Although Jasmin and Leila grew up in the same environment, full of creativity and inspiration, and have the same roots, their artworks are almost opposites. Leila does abstract paintings and Jasmin mostly follows realism and reality mixed with fantasy. Their inspiration and style are very different. Leila is more into dreams and astrology. Jasmin loves exploring different techniques and transfers them into painting. She paints figurative, portraits, landscapes, Still lives and even comics. Her work has been shown in galleries all over the world. On the other hand, Leila wants people to feel something, to see different things, and to enter a new world while looking at her paintings. With the abstract, she intends to open the imagination and make people dream. She says: “You can see something completely different every day when you look at my paintings. They like to paint in series – Leila has sequences of 12 pieces, all in different sizes, because she is a numerologist and feels this way. Every painting can tell a story. Jasmin has sets of several works with the same theme, with boats, western inspirations, and many others. The sisters both paint by their own inspiration and they also paint according to your wishes. Leila and Jasmin are planning to open a new gallery in Lagos very soon. News will follow....

Artventurous / Art & Design Magazin Issue 35 page 30/31

LEILA CHOUIKHA Pure Harmony art Leila, born and raised in Switzerland, currently lives in Portugal. Leila’s abstraction is expressed by lines, and strokes, entirely refusing clear geometricize. Her paintings convey her emotions and fleeting feelings through their use of vivid colors and shadows, which add depth to her works, while the broad strokes infuse the paintings with vitality. The idea of inner freedom of action is of a metaphysical nature, closely adhering to Leila’s philosophy of life. Leila belongs to the sensitive type of personality. She possesses a distinct ability to make an impression and is remarkably frank, expressing delight in seemingly insignificant things that are often overlooked by most individuals. The artist tries to communicate with the viewer by depicting a certain pictorial process and drawing the viewer into this process of creation, the process of painting an artwork. As a reflective viewer, you can see in this not a static canvas in its final form, but pulsating in its internal dynamics of colors, textures, and lines that tend to transform into something generated by your consciousness, for everyone “viewer” into their own form.

Art Expo Magazin, September, Portimão, Portugal 2023

Pure Harmony Art Leila, half Swiss and half Tunisian. Born and raised in Switzerland, currently lives in Portugal. As an artist’s daughter, she was immersed in the world of art from early childhood. She has always known that her vocation is to create art. For self-expression, she chose abstract expressionism. Leila belongs to the sensitive type of personality. She has a special impressionability and openness; she is delighted with simple things that most people will not notice. Increased morality and intuition help her to feel this world subtly, analyze her life experience, transform experiences into high feelings, and feelings into creativity. In her artworks, Leila uses paints of different colors and shades, which gives depth to her works, and broad strokes fill the paintings with strength and life. Relaxation and sobriety, this is how Leila’s artwork can be characterized. Universal calm, balance, harmony, and peace, freely flow from her picturesque creations. She painted all her life. Now she paints her life.

5th edition of FestiArte in Marbella 2023

Yesterday closed the 5th edition of FestiArte in Marbella, organized by recently disappeared gallery artist Javier Roman (Q.E.P.D). His widow Carmen Romero Rivera and his daughter Marta took over the organization. A set of national and international artists, with a wide array of painting and sculpture pieces.

Artventurous / Art & Design Magazin Issue 34 page 54/55

Pure Harmony Art Leila, half Swiss and half Tunisian. Born and raised in Switzerland, currently lives in Portugal. As an artist’s daughter, she was immersed in the world of art from early childhood. She has always known that her vocation is to create art. For self-expression, she chose abstract expressionism. Leila belongs to the sensitive type of personality. She has a special impressionability and openness; she is delighted with simple things that most people will not notice. Increased morality and intuition help her to feel this world subtly, analyze her life experience, transform experiences into high feelings, and feelings into creativity. In her artworks, Leila uses paints of different colors and shades, which gives depth to her works, and broad strokes fill the paintings with strength and life. Relaxation and sobriety, this is how Leila’s artwork can be characterized. Universal calm, balance, harmony, and peace, freely flow from her picturesque creations. She painted all her life. Now she paints her life.

Artventurous / Art & Design Magazin Issue 33 page 60/61

LEILA Pure harmony and passionate art Leila is half Swiss and half Tunisian. Raised and born in Switzerland. She is living now in Portugal. The daughter of one of the greatest artists, she got inspiration from early childhood. Leila paints abstractly, sometimes even with her eyes closed, just being guided by her higher self. The splendor of life, the magical and abstract quality of everything that surrounds us. The relaxation and sobriety of Leila’s artwork inspire universes of tranquility where the unreal transmits balance, harmony, and peace, that flow freely from her pictorial creations. Art was always in Leila`s heart. During her entire life, she was surrounded by pure, passionate, and mysterious art. The artist always knew that all she wanted to do is to create art. But for that, she needs to experience life first. She studied Method Acting in Hollywood. Leila started to collect feelings. Everything she experienced in the past happened for a reason. Leila is very Spiritual and gives each of her paintings a little magic spark. She painted all her life. Now she paints her life