Tate Modern presents the UK’s first ever solo exhibition of the work of Algerian artist Baya (Mahieddine). Featuring more than 100 of her vivid gouache watercolours, alongside unique ceramic sculptures, this show traces Baya’s groundbreaking impact across cultural landscapes in North Africa and Europe during the 20th century.

Forging an artistic and cultural identity in newly independent Algeria, Baya’s geometric patterns and bold colours were rooted in the creative and natural surroundings of her homeland, as well as its storytelling and musical traditions. Throughout her life, she defied attempts to categorise her work in terms like ‘surrealist’ or ‘naive’, instead claiming her distinctly modernist approach as simply ‘Baya-ism’.

Baya’s work has been influential on generations of international artists and thinkers, including figures such as Pablo Picasso and André Breton. This exhibition shines a spotlight on her practice, showcasing her extraordinary work on its own terms. It builds on new research to explore the complexity and experimentation at the heart of this hugely significant artist’s career.