Fatima Mazmouz creates works that critique the social constructions of womanhood and identity, and explores colonial inheritance. The body as a tool for communication is a central theme in her work, which often includes an element of performance by the artist herself. Growing up with a trader father offered her a glimpse into the running of a grocery store, which she sees as a microcosm for society at large, a human laboratory of sorts that allowed her to acquire an awareness of issues around domination and the representation of the other.

Mazmouz pursued art history academically, which prompted her decades-long research and exploration of art history in Arab countries, studying sociocultural phenomena at the heart of the colonial and post-colonial ruling system.