Objects of Memory

Abdelhamid Ksentini was an educator, writer, and one of the pioneers of children's journalism in Tunisia. Driven by the belief that Tunisian children deserved a magazine of their own, he imagined a publication that would entertain, educate, and inspire curiosity while celebrating their language, culture, and identity.

In 1966, he turned that vision into reality by founding Irfan, Tunisia's first children's magazine. At a time when educational resources for young readers were limited, Ksentini brought together teachers, writers, illustrators, and educators to create a publication that blended comics, science, literature, history, puzzles, and imagination. More than just a magazine, Irfan became a monthly companion for generations of Tunisian children, finding its way into classrooms, school libraries, and family homes across the country.

For many children growing up in Tunisia during the 70s, 80s and 90s, 3erfan was often the first magazine they ever owned. Published monthly under the slogan "The magazine for children everywhere," it blended education with entertainment in a way that felt effortless. One page could transport readers to ancient civilizations, the next to a comic adventure, followed by science experiments, riddles, historical figures, and colorful illustrations. It proved that learning didn't have to feel like school, it could feel like curiosity.

What made Irfan memorable wasn't simply its stories, it was the variety. Comics sat beside science articles, moral tales, geography, history, games, crosswords, jokes, and readers' letters. Every issue encouraged children to observe, imagine, draw, and ask questions. In many ways, it functioned as an analog version of today's internet: one place where curiosity could wander in every direction.

Some childhood objects disappear because they become outdated. Others survive because they become part of our identity. Irfan belongs to the second category. More than half a century after its first publication, the magazine remains one of Tunisia's strongest symbols of childhood nostalgia. It reminds us of a time when imagination arrived once a month, printed on paper, and every new issue felt like an event. Some generations grew up with algorithms. Others grew up waiting for Irfan.

For decades, millions of people have carried Hatem El Mekki's work in their pockets without ever knowing his name. Yet his vision helped shape the visual identity of modern Tunisia through coins, stamps, illustrations, and cultural symbols that became part of everyday life.

This chapter of Objects of Memory explores the story behind the Tunisian dinar and the artist who designed it. Because heritage is not only found in museums. It also lives in the objects we touch, use, and pass from one generation to the next.

Most Tunisians carry a piece of Hatem El Mekki's work every day without realizing it. After independence, the artist helped shape the visual language of the nation through coins, banknotes, and more than 450 postage stamps. Drawing from Tunisian heritage, architecture, calligraphy, and everyday life, his designs transformed national symbols into objects handled by millions.

Hatem El Mekki wasn't just a painter, he was a visual architect of modern Tunisia. From paintings and murals to banknotes, coins, and 454 postage stamps, his work blended Tunisian culture with Asian artistic influences. While his paintings earned international recognition, his most enduring legacy may be the designs that became part of everyday Tunisian life.

1. The Woman : At the center of the composition stands a Tunisian woman. More than a portrait, she can be read as a symbol of the nation itself representing the people, dignity, and the connection between identity and the land.

2. The Olive Branches : In her hands she holds olive branches, one of the oldest symbols of peace and prosperity. In Tunisia, they also reflect a centuries-old agricultural tradition and one of the country's most recognizable landscapes.

3. The Tractor : Placed in the background, the tractor introduces the idea of modernization. It reflects a Tunisia looking toward development, productivity, and the future while remaining rooted in its agricultural heritage.

4. The Wheat Fields : The fields surrounding the figure symbolize labor, cultivation, and abundance. They celebrate the workers, farmers, and everyday efforts that contribute to building the nation.

5. The Landscape : Together, these elements create a vision of Tunisia not through power or politics, but through people, work, and the land itself.

6. The Signature : The name "ELMEKKI" appears within the design. Small and often overlooked, it is one of the few visible traces left by the artist on an object handled by millions of people every day.

OOM, an archive project by XTRA Studio and Tunez Magazine. Research and notes by Nyzar Trabelsi. Curation and archive research with Hedy Ben Hmida.