拍品专文
Executed in 1989, Arbre arc-en ciel (Rainbow Tree) is a seminal work from the artist’s celebrated natural dye on skin works. Trees are a recurring motif within Farid Belkahia’s practice, relating to the notion of regeneration whilst also representing the link between earth and heaven. In his own words: ‘Every individual is locked into a circle, a sort of personal cosmos in which he is subjected to the pressure that comes from all directions, a pressure that is liberated through trance.’ Inspired by his North African heritage, he combines Amazigh symbols and rejecting the Western canvas for traditional materials and techniques including vellum, natural dyes, and textile, to create abstracted forms often resembling body parts and sitting between two-dimensional works and sculptural objects.
Born in Marrakesh in 1934, Belkahia is one of the most prominent pioneer figures in the Moroccan modernism. In 1955, he enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and studied scenography at the Theatre Academy in Prague. Throughout his education, Belkahia felt a profound yearning for his roots, which persuaded him to travel across the Middle East and North Africa, during which he discovered the rich diversity of Arab cultures. Upon his return to Morocco, Belkahia was appointed as director of the School of Fine Arts in Casablanca from 1962 to 1974. Together with other influential artists such as Mohamed Melehi, Mohammed Chabâa and Mohamed Hamidi, he revolutionised art education, advocating for the importance of local Arab-African expression, free from ideological confinement, and open to global influences.
Born in Marrakesh in 1934, Belkahia is one of the most prominent pioneer figures in the Moroccan modernism. In 1955, he enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and studied scenography at the Theatre Academy in Prague. Throughout his education, Belkahia felt a profound yearning for his roots, which persuaded him to travel across the Middle East and North Africa, during which he discovered the rich diversity of Arab cultures. Upon his return to Morocco, Belkahia was appointed as director of the School of Fine Arts in Casablanca from 1962 to 1974. Together with other influential artists such as Mohamed Melehi, Mohammed Chabâa and Mohamed Hamidi, he revolutionised art education, advocating for the importance of local Arab-African expression, free from ideological confinement, and open to global influences.