拍品专文
Moroccan painter, sculptor, architect, and educator, Mohamed Chebaa was one of the most prominent figures in the modern art scene of Morocco. Born in Tangiers in 1935 to a master mason father, Chebaa became interested in design at an early age. After completing his studies at the School of Fine Arts / École des Beaux-Arts in Tetouan in 1955, he worked in the architecture department of the Ministry of Sports and Youth alongside a French architect. The role taught the young artist the fundamentals of architectural design, training him to sketch and draw up plans simultaneously nurturing his appreciation for aesthetics. Encouraged by these experiences, Chebaa pursued further studies in interior design at Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome from 1962 to 1964 on a government scholarship. His studies informed his interest in spatiality which would become an inherent element of his artistic practice in the years to come.
Upon returning to Morocco, Chebaa, together with Mohamed Melehi, joined Farid Belkahia to form the pedagogic team at the Casablanca School of Fine Arts. Chebaa led workshops in calligraphy and decorative arts, contributing to the school’s mission to reintegrate native handicrafts and encourage students to reconnect with Morocco’s Amazigh, African, and Islamic heritage and traditional art forms such as leather-making, jewellery, carpets, and calligraphy. This shift in pedagogy not only transformed the school’s curriculum but also initiated a broader movement to emancipate Moroccan art from influences of the colonial period. Later in life, he also worked at the Ecole d’Architecture in Casablanca and served as the Director at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Tetouan.
In parallel with their teaching roles, the three artists formed the Casablanca Group after a joint exhibition held in Rabat in 1966. The group laid the groundwork for modernism in Morocco, merging national heritage and innovation, and integrating art, architecture and artisanal craft. Their collective aim to dismantle the limitations and prejudices that positioned Western art as superior coincided with the broader socio-political changes in the country, which saw a surge in cultural awareness, the rise of political liberation, and a return to authentic Moroccan pre-colonial thought. The artists collaborated with poets Mostapha Nissaboury and Abdelatif Laabi, who ran the art and literature magazine “Souffles”. The magazine embraced visual education in relation to cultural decolonisation, deliberating the very issues the Casablanca Group engaged with, offering a platform for dialogue between art, architecture and public spaces. Chebaa frequently contributed to “Souffles” between 1966 and 1971, deepening his political engagement and reinforcing his belief in art as a form of social practice.
As a result, Chebaa’s artistic contributions became particularly significant during a time when Moroccan culture was reclaiming its identity, long removed from its roots under the French Protectorate. He deployed his art as a medium through which he explored the creation of a modern art form rooted in Morocco’s rich heritage, while simultaneously introducing it to an international audience. Chebaa’s painting style drew on symbols from Morocco’s Amazigh, Arab and Islamic heritage, incorporating elements from the Tifinagh script, carpet motifs, tattoos, and henna dyeing. Informed by his architectural background, Chebaa further enriched his oeuvre with Arabic calligraphy which he viewed not merely as script but as “a pure art form itself”. As a result, his compositions are characterised by complex spatial dynamics and intricate design. Embellished with geometric motifs, figurative patterns and bold lines in bright colours, Chebaa’s gestural abstraction creates a compelling sense of fluidity and offers viewers the freedom of interpretation.
The present work, titled Composition, was painted in 1985, a year in which Chebaa was appointed as artistic advisor to the Moroccan Minister of Arts. During this time, he shifted his focus more toward the process of painting, rather than the ideology behind it. Here, his architectural training is evident in the precision of the geometric forms and his remarkable command of the line. Weaving together an array of geometric shapes in varying colours and dimensions, layered over a lighter, more subdued background, the artist draws the viewer’s gaze to the transformative nature of patterns. Through this piece, the artist explores the colour dynamics, with bursts of yellow to add a sense of lightness and darker tones to heighten contrast and depth.
Upon returning to Morocco, Chebaa, together with Mohamed Melehi, joined Farid Belkahia to form the pedagogic team at the Casablanca School of Fine Arts. Chebaa led workshops in calligraphy and decorative arts, contributing to the school’s mission to reintegrate native handicrafts and encourage students to reconnect with Morocco’s Amazigh, African, and Islamic heritage and traditional art forms such as leather-making, jewellery, carpets, and calligraphy. This shift in pedagogy not only transformed the school’s curriculum but also initiated a broader movement to emancipate Moroccan art from influences of the colonial period. Later in life, he also worked at the Ecole d’Architecture in Casablanca and served as the Director at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Tetouan.
In parallel with their teaching roles, the three artists formed the Casablanca Group after a joint exhibition held in Rabat in 1966. The group laid the groundwork for modernism in Morocco, merging national heritage and innovation, and integrating art, architecture and artisanal craft. Their collective aim to dismantle the limitations and prejudices that positioned Western art as superior coincided with the broader socio-political changes in the country, which saw a surge in cultural awareness, the rise of political liberation, and a return to authentic Moroccan pre-colonial thought. The artists collaborated with poets Mostapha Nissaboury and Abdelatif Laabi, who ran the art and literature magazine “Souffles”. The magazine embraced visual education in relation to cultural decolonisation, deliberating the very issues the Casablanca Group engaged with, offering a platform for dialogue between art, architecture and public spaces. Chebaa frequently contributed to “Souffles” between 1966 and 1971, deepening his political engagement and reinforcing his belief in art as a form of social practice.
As a result, Chebaa’s artistic contributions became particularly significant during a time when Moroccan culture was reclaiming its identity, long removed from its roots under the French Protectorate. He deployed his art as a medium through which he explored the creation of a modern art form rooted in Morocco’s rich heritage, while simultaneously introducing it to an international audience. Chebaa’s painting style drew on symbols from Morocco’s Amazigh, Arab and Islamic heritage, incorporating elements from the Tifinagh script, carpet motifs, tattoos, and henna dyeing. Informed by his architectural background, Chebaa further enriched his oeuvre with Arabic calligraphy which he viewed not merely as script but as “a pure art form itself”. As a result, his compositions are characterised by complex spatial dynamics and intricate design. Embellished with geometric motifs, figurative patterns and bold lines in bright colours, Chebaa’s gestural abstraction creates a compelling sense of fluidity and offers viewers the freedom of interpretation.
The present work, titled Composition, was painted in 1985, a year in which Chebaa was appointed as artistic advisor to the Moroccan Minister of Arts. During this time, he shifted his focus more toward the process of painting, rather than the ideology behind it. Here, his architectural training is evident in the precision of the geometric forms and his remarkable command of the line. Weaving together an array of geometric shapes in varying colours and dimensions, layered over a lighter, more subdued background, the artist draws the viewer’s gaze to the transformative nature of patterns. Through this piece, the artist explores the colour dynamics, with bursts of yellow to add a sense of lightness and darker tones to heighten contrast and depth.