Magic, metaphors, and soot

Growing up in the countryside near Fes, my world was shaped by imagination and the land around me. Without TV, I found fascination in the organic textures and forms that surrounded us. One of my earliest and most vivid memories is of the black ash marks that accumulated in our kitchen from the open log fire. I saw those soot-streaked walls as a magic space, using my finger to draw into the black and reveal the whitewashed surface beneath. This simple act felt like magic— transforming nothing into something, turning waste into treasure.

Today, this deep connection with natural materials still fuels my work. I begin with research that leads into an idea that I want to express, and then explore ways to materialize this into an artwork. I often play with contrasts—juxtaposing man-made elements with natural materials—because I believe that these tensions create some of the most powerful, subconscious messages. Through this interplay, I aim to evoke a dialogue between the organic and the engineered, the raw and the refined.

For me, art is a tool for communication, a democratic platform with the power to inspire and spark creativity—provided one has access to it. You don't need the ability to read or write to feel something when standing in front of a piece of art. My work goes beyond the confines of a single exhibition; it is about integration.

With the work I produced with your team, it was not just a commission for Salone, it was about showing Beni's sensitivity to the materials and the weavers you work with. Bringing female weavers into the creative process was key. Many of these women had never set foot in an art gallery, and when we began discussing how they could envision wool beyond weaving, it filled them with pride and a sense of empowerment.

The artwork I created isn't just an idea manifested; it is the embodiment of stories and collaborations, coming to life in the very spaces where these women work. It stands as a symbol of home and a reminder that, no matter your position in the world, inspiration can be a path to liberation. My view of art continues to evolve, just as creativity is limitless. The moment we stop learning from the people and the world around us, we risk extinguishing that creativity.

Metaphors are the most powerful tool we have, as they tap into the conscious and the subconscious. For example by using a contrast of man-made and natural materials I am using a metaphor for the tensions between nature and society, but I don't need to write that on a page and shout about it, you feel it when you see the work. In my piece the Atlas Lions for example, you have a concrete lion and an earth lion facing each other in a mirror image, encased in steel bars. You know this is symbolic and the viewer's imagination allows them to take the story to a new dimension, but it's on their own terms.

All the best ideas are not instructions; they come from our own mind. Art serves to prompt ideas by not instructing what someone should feel or think, but to stimulate those parts of your brain. In essence a metaphor is a way to stimulate ideas from the viewer and engage them in a dialogue about the world we live in.

History is essential to the human experience. Without the ability to look back, we cannot ensure that progress is informed. In Morocco, the majority of people are disconnected from their own history, denied a crucial part of their identity. My work uses art as a vehicle to engage with these lost stories, with the rich history of Morocco central to my practice. Through my research and art, I strive to liberate and inspire not only younger generations but also the older ones, reconnecting them with a past that can instill pride and a sense of belonging.

Morocco’s history is rich and complex, yet in modern times, we often lose sight of our own significance within the global geopolitical landscape. After years of colonization, there is a need to redefine our understanding of our heritage, reclaiming the pride in what has shaped us. Recent history does not define what our future can be.