Elmarsa was founded in 1994 in Tunis and aims to promote artists from the Arab world and beyond. Through an array of mediums including painting, sculpture, photography and installation, the gallery engages with artists who emphasize a shared sense of humanity and emotion, highlighting a variety of coexisting attitudes and strategies in modern and contemporary art.

Gouider Triki (b. 1949) and Hatim Elmekki (1918-2003) are pioneers in the history of North African art who have paved the way for the emergence of twentieth-century modernism, both visually and conceptually. In retrospect, their work constitutes an important link between the academic movement and modernity in North Africa. Elmekki is praised for his prolific body of work and diverse techniques, including his distinctive bold and aggressive style. Elmekki had international exposure through museums and prestigious institutions such as the V&A Museum in London and the Museum of Seoul. He was awarded La Croix de la Légion d’Honneur in France in 1980. Triki is a prominent Tunisian painter and engraver. He gained international recognition following his first exhibition in France at the Centre Georges Pompidou in 1978 and at other prestigious institutions like the Institut du Monde Arabe in 1992 and at Darat El Founoun in Amman in 1998.