Born in Tunis in 1969. Héla Ammar lives and works in Tunis.
In addition to her studies in the visual arts, she holds a doctorate in law. Her photographic work questions notions of memory and identity. Her images and installations draw their strength from the marginality of the territories she explores.
Co-author of a survey of death rows in Tunisia, she recently developed a series of sound and visual installations depicting the Tunisian prison world for the first time. Drawing inspiration from her everyday life, she has often chosen to stage herself, to express herself on subjects that help to define the contours of an ever-changing feminine identity. More generally, her photographic work constantly questions the notion of identity, beyond social, political and religious references and conventions.
A selection of her work is included in the permanent collections of the British Museum in London and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. His work has been presented in biennials and international exhibitions such as: The Victoria and Albert Museum (London, 2018), "Beyond Borders" at the Fondation Baughossian (Brussels, 2019).