#anticolonialism

An Algerian national heroine, Lalla Fatma N’Soumer (1830–1863) is remembered for the defeats she inflicted upon the French army.

The holy woman

Lalla Fatma, or Fadhma according to the Kabyle pronunciation of her name, was born in Ouerdja. Her father was a renowned religious leader and teacher. From a young age, she was drawn to mysticism and meditation and memorised the Qur’an by heart. At the age of sixteen, she was married to her cousin but ended the union to focus on her spiritual journey.

Lalla Fatma became active and influential in traditionally male-dominated religious and political spheres. She was therefore given the honorific title of “Lalla,” which denotes a woman of distinction.

Resisting the invasion

As the French army threatened to conquer the region of Kabylie, Lalla Fatma used her religious authority to build a structured resistance movement and mobilised an army of men and women. In 1849, she allied herself with the religious and independence leader Si Mohammed El-Hachemi. She and her brother were granted authorization to lead the Imseblen, the “volunteers of death.”

Lalla Fatma was believed to be a prophetess. A strict commander, she did not tolerate slackness or cowardice. Soldiers who tried to flee the enemy were burned with a poker.

In 1854, her troops defeated the French army under General Randon in battle. Although the French forces had superior numbers and equipment, the Kabyle troops prevailed after two months of fighting.

Her story brings to mind the exploits of warrior queens from the Aurès Mountains, such as al-Kahina in the 7th century or Fatma Tazoughert, “the Redhead,” in the 16th century. Both women were also regarded as holy women and prophetesses

As of 1854, the region was still independent and remained, for a time, the last bastion in Algeria free from French rule.

Entering the legend

By 1857, General Randon returned, determined to crush the Kabyle resistance. Lalla Fatma organised the defence. In spite of her people’s bravery, she was ultimately captured. From the moment she fell into the enemy’s hands, all resistance ceased.

She was placed in detention under French authority and died six years later at the age of thirty-three. She later became a symbol of the fight for Algeria’s independence. In 1999, her remains were transferred to the Martyrs’ Cemetery of El Alia in Algiers. Her legacy was also mobilised by feminist movements.

Today, the Kabyle expression “Lalla n’Ouerdja,” a name also attributed to Lalla Fatma, designates a woman who refuses to conform to traditional gender roles.

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Further reading: 

Boudjadja Meriem, “Lalla Fatma N’Soumer”, in: Amazones, Femmes de cheval chez tous les peuples de la terre, depuis les temps les plus anciens jusqu’à nos jours

Benbrahim Malha,  “Documents sur Fadhma N’Soumeur (1830-1861)”

Carrey Emile, Récits de Kabylie 

Chitour Chems Eddine, L'Histoire de l'Algérie, De la résilience à la quête de la modernité

"While we mourn, we also fight."

Here is some I am proud of from the first song - "cleansed of spirits"

Artist Statement - Apostatic Redundancy

“Apostatic Redundancy” is a digital painting series telling the story of the conquest of an alien world and the subsequent genocide and destruction of native culture on that planet by the imperialist regime colonizing it. This narrative takes the form of multiple digital pieces in 4K resolution.

My work is intended to communicate my own strongly held beliefs on anti-capitalism, anti-imperialism, anti-fascism, and anti-colonialism, as well as to reflect my own struggles both as a transgender woman living in the United States under the Trump administration waiting for the inevitable end to come to me at the hands of a genocidal regime, and as an indigenous person stripped of my identity and culture by colonization, racism, and americanization by my white household. That white household is what introduced me to science fiction as a genre; growing up with films like Star Wars and Starship Troopers. By taking a genre historically dominated by white authors, artists, and filmmakers, I hope to subvert the expectation of lukewarm, tongue-in-cheek liberalism and communicate my ardently leftist ideals without fear of censorship, misinterpretation, or suppression by stakeholders, a privilege individual artists possess that industrial artists do not have.

Apostatic Redundancy features images of futuristic Wehrmacht soldiers wielding incredibly American looking firearms, inspired by the U.S. military’s arsenal, with masks obscuring their humanity and creating the image of the uncaring, unfeeling force. It features images of mechanical death and genocide, of the destruction of previously untarnished nature, and of overwhelming power and military might raining hellfire and abuse upon a far less technologically advanced civilization, drawing direct inspiration from the era of the conquistador and the documentation of the conquest of South American Indigenous communities by the Spanish.

My work is meant to make you feel shocked, horrified, and dismayed. It utilizes far more advanced digital rendering techniques than my previous work, taking full advantage of 3D objects and lighting programs. It responds to the contemporary science fiction scene with its own assertions of how an imperial force in a distant future might operate, based on the actions of modern empires. While I am inspired by George Lucas (Star Wars), William Gibson (Neuromancer), Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), and Mike Pondsmith (Cyberpunk), I also hope to stand apart from their works and improve upon the foundation they’ve built for me.