He has always found ways to titillate the authorities with humor and flippancy, without ever being caught. In his paintings, the Islamic veil and bearded characters mix with sexy and nude figures. Ben Slama comes from a pictorial current with decidedly Tunisian roots. His predecessors include the artists Guider Triki, Habib Bouabana, and Lamine Sassi. In one of the series that he presented in Tunisia a few years ago, these people hold a sign that reads "RIEN (NOTHING)." This "nothing" wanted to say many things, among them the lack of freedom and the repression exerted by the previous regime against those who dared to critique it.