'Made in Morocco' at Art Moorhouse in London

Mixed media on canvas After a successful and busy year Moroccan Fine Art is pleased to announce their next exhibition in partnership with Moroccan Bazaar. Made in Morocco is presented at Art Moorhouse in London, from 20 January – 20 February 2014, offering

a poetic and imaginative journey into the world of Moroccan culture.
Whilst we are familiar with Morocco as country we are in unfamiliar territory when it comes to Moroccan art.  The kingdom has a long-standing tradition in decorative art, calligraphy, craft, music, and oral literature that serves and supports existing religious and social patterns. Made in Morocco explores its nation’s visual identity and cultural heritage by presenting the works of the country’s finest artists Mustapha Amnaine, Hassan Boukhari and Said Qodaid. Each artist applies different techniques and skills to create their unique depictions to portray their artistic vision.  The exhibition presents calligraphy and painting together with a number of hand-crafted brass lamps from  made by native artisans.
Mustapha Amnaine
Amnaine’s is spellbound by the painterly fluidity of calligraphy.  His lyrical depictions move between traditional and abstract expression, strokes and splashes of colour act as diacritical marks punctuating the rhythm of layered graphs.  Simultaneously, other glyphs head across the page colliding with colour, creating form. Each brush stroke, gentle and solid, influences the outcome on the whitish surface and authenticates his scriptorial language. Amnaine’s calligraphy celebrates his passion and knowledge of Arabic scripture and contemporary painting.
Hassan Boukhari
Boukhari has become well-know in Morocco through his distinct canvases focusing on ethnic tradition. At first glance his compositions appear like photographs from the distance.  He introduces pale coloured and black squares together with rectangles, and offers the viewer a fresh attitude towards his subject.  Scarves, Berber jewellery, domestic fruits and tea utensils are motifs he repeatedly deploys.  In Boukhari's approach we find selected areas of a scarf accentuated through layering and recessing the four-side figure, like an investigation through a magnifying glass. Other motifs are combined with coloured squares as a backdrop proclaiming a pivotal balance. With his new style he offers an emphasis on different visual sensations as well as furthering the development of his painterly language.
Said Qodaid
Qodaid’s paintings are traditionally Moroccan, both in their themes and colours; he is a Moroccan to the core. His still lifes are portraits of Morocco offering an exploration into traditional life and native customs. With a profound understanding Qodaid uses his art as a language to celebrate the multiplicity of Moroccan culture. In his quest to accentuate his visual vocabulary he utilises dynamic brush strokes to convey exuberance and force, a way of working that evolved and he perfected over years. He masters both impulse and naturalness, making his paintings appealing to the gaze.
Moorhouse a high profile landmark building in the heart of the City of London, home to a number of well-known Corporate Head Quarters.  Art Moorhouse is situated in the foyer of the building representing regularly international art exhibitions.
Established in the UK since 1970, Moroccan Bazaar is the leading manufacturer and distributor of authentic traditional and contemporary Moroccan furniture. www.moroccanbazaar.com.
We would like to thank our sponsors:
The Moroccan Tourism Board
The Berry Company
 Made in Morocco runs from 20 January – 20 February 2014 at Art Moorhouse,  Moorhouse, 120
London  Wall, Greater London, EC2Y 5ET.  Gallery opening hours 10.00  to 18.00.