LES MAINS D’EVORA is a mural created during an 6-week artist residency organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs of La Courneuve, at the Maison Pour Tous Césaria Evora — a lively community center that offers cultural, educational, and social activities for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Developed with the users of the MPT and the young members of association Fête le Mur, the mural draws inspiration from their daily gestures and familiar objects. The patterns originated in workshops, while the hands were inspired by scenes of daily life of the center. Conceived as a participatory artwork, the piece is an homage the diversity, generosity, and collective energy that define the Maison Pour Tous.
LES MAINS D’EVORA, January-June 2025
mural on two interior walls, 20 m²
Maison Pour Tous Césaria Evora
55 avenue Henri-Barbusse,
93120 La Courneuve, France
mural on two interior walls, 20 m²
Maison Pour Tous Césaria Evora
55 avenue Henri-Barbusse,
93120 La Courneuve, France
acrylic on fire-proof okoumé plywood panels,
painted in close collaboration with Alain Saey
with the participation of the community
and the assistance of Anaelle Donikian
project manager: Farrah Trari
painted in close collaboration with Alain Saey
with the participation of the community
and the assistance of Anaelle Donikian
project manager: Farrah Trari
Hands are at the heart of the artwork, through moments of shared craft, conversation, and play: pouring mint tea in the weekly tea salon, drawing and cutting a sewing pattern, crafting a sari tassel, playing Scrabble, preparing Kabyle couscous (massaging semolina, dicing onions, picking coriander leaves), juggling, counting beads, drawing, knitting, writing, teaching, and painting henna.
The patterns in the mural were developed during a couple of workshops I led with people from the community. They were invited to bring photos or objects that reminded them of the MPT — small, personal details connected to memories or stories. Based on these fragments, we sketched and explored ideas for original patterns that reflect the MPT’s convivial, multicultural, and intergenerational character. Later, I took these ideas into my sketchbook and expanded them into a colorful graphic language that shaped the design of the final piece.
Thank you to art teacher Mahsa Mirhosseini for her pedagogical help.
Thank you to art teacher Mahsa Mirhosseini for her pedagogical help.
sketchbook, colour pencil on paper, 21x29,7cm, ©alicesaey
Next to the workshops, I also immersed myself in the daily life of the center, participating in activities such as cooking, knitting, sewing, French lessons, and the weekly communal gatherings. During these moments of conversation and connection, I observed the hands and gestures of participants and studied them in my sketchbook.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
sketchbook, colour pencil on paper, 21x29,7cm, ©alicesaey
sketchbook, colour pencil on paper, 21x29,7cm, ©alicesaey
