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Mohamed Amine Hamouda, the department’s director, is a visual artist and a teacher at the Higher Institute of Arts and Crafts in Gabes. His work is based on experimental research that explores and highlights the natural resources of Gabes to initiate new discussions about the oasis and the potential future of the region. Hamouda presents his handmade dyes, fibers, and papers, using only plants and natural elements found in the oasis, to document the biodiversity and rich ecological systems of the threatened oasis. He explores media and materials based on the plant diversity in his region (palm fronds, artisanal discards, or undesirable plants..), thus reviving lost and forgotten stories that existed before industrial colonization. The artist has been exhibiting in Tunisia and internationally since 2013, with his recent exhibitions including “Ragata… The Silk Road” in 2023, “Fire and Embers” in a joint exhibition titled “Hira Fen” in 2023, and Art Abu Dhabi in 2023.