Ahmed Benyahia

Ahmed Benyahia (أحمد بن يحيى; Born in Constantine, Algeria, in 1943) is an Algerian artist.

He is a notable alumnus of the prestigious École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris, where as a student in the late 1960s he played an instrumental role in successfully bringing French sculptor César Baldaccini as a Professor there, and of whom he was to become a distinguished disciple and a protégé.

He was a co-designer of his eponymous César Award trophy, French cinema equivalent of the American Oscar.

Ahmed Benyahia is the brother of Algerian French artist Samta Benyahia.

Biography
Born in May 11, 1943, in what is today Chelghoum Laïd (formerly known as Chateau-dun-du-Rhumel) where he did his elementary studies.

Ahmed Benyahia then grew up at the Rebain Cherif, for long considered the intellectual hub of the city of Constantine, a stone's throw away from the school of the famous Algerian polymath and reformist Ben Badis.

In 1957, at age 13, he joined Constantine's École municipale des beaux-arts, then under French administration, all the while teaching painting classes at a local High School.

Then, after distinguishing himself at l’École nationale des beaux-arts fr:École des beaux-arts d'Alger in Algiers, where his works were featured on several major international events (such as, among others, the First International Forum of Algeria ) in 1964.

In 1966, he moved to Paris, where he was admitted at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts.

Paris: Bringing César to les Beaux-arts
After moving to Paris, Ahmed's artistic talent would not go unnoticed by French sculptor César, who joined the faculty of the prestigious École after a group of students headed by Ahmed urged him to become their Professor.

The Board members of the École nationale initially refused to grant a professorship to César, but were subsequently forced to back off due to the students' insistence.

As soon as he became a Professor there, Ahmed became the protégé of the renown French artist. He worked on several projects under his supervision, and was co-designer of his eponymous César Award trophy, French cinema equivalent of the American Oscar.

He is the mentor of Samta benyahia.

Master and Disciple: César and Ahmed Benyahia
Highly recommending the young Ahmed Benyahia to his friend, the eminent architect Fernand Pouillon, César had this to say about his Algerian disciple:

"The holder of this letter is Algerian and sculptor, I've known him for three years now. He has been from the outset among the students who came to look for me in order to be their Professor at les Beaux-Arts. He is an extremely talented gentleman. He possesses a mastery and a profound technical knowledge of all the media and means of sculptural expression.

It is quite rare to meet in a young man of this age such firmness and intransigence, a self-discipline so powerful when it comes to his artistic work. I ask you to help him fulfill himself, because he deserves it."

-- Letter of César Baldaccini to Fernand Pouillon, cited in French in La Tribune, May 11th, 2012.

Preserving the Cultural Heritage of Constantine
Ahmed Benyahia is also the founder and president of the Association for the Defense of the Old Rock of Constantine, which boasts a long history of striving for the preservation of the national heritage of the city of Constantine.

Thanks to the relentless work and activism of the association, a great number of monuments and landmarks dating back to the Phoenician, Roman, and Ottoman era were saved from destruction, which was planned by the local authorities in order to initiate several new urban projects such as the construction of parking lots and tramway lines. Several of these monuments and landmarks were subsequently classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Family Ties
He is the brother of Samta Benyahia of whom he was the mentor for several years, as well as the brother of the late Doctor Azzouz Benyahia of Constantine, who was the target of a political assassination during the Algerian legislative elections of 1997.

Mohammed Seddik Benyahia, militant nationalist, former Minister of Foreign Affaires and architect of the liberation of the American hostages held in Iran after the Iranian revolution, is not a direct relative. He is however a member of the greater Benyahia family, who hails from the large Aures tribe of the Abdennours.

Some Works

 * Sculpture of the Emir Abdelkader, Mexico City, 1986
 * Statue of the Military Academy of Cherchell, commemorating the Algerian Struggle for Independence
 * Sculpture of Algerian national hero Zighoud Youcef, 1975
 * Co-designer of the César Award trophy, French cinema equivalent of the American Oscar, 1976