Younes El Jai: the Moroccan Touch is Always Present in my Works

In the 17th episode of his series “Nayda F’Hollywood” which highlights a number of Moroccans who have succeeded in the United States, journalist Simo Benbachir received the Moroccan painter and sculptor Younes El Jaï, who arrived in America from Casablanca, in order to realize his dream of becoming a great artist.

Younes told Simo about his vocation for painting and sculpture, a passion that has always remained in him since he was a child. He liked to play with clay and create various shapes. “I wasn’t asking my father to buy me toys like all children do. I loved to create my own toys and made sure they were impeccable,” he said.

Younes remembers his father’s encouragement to hone his talent and persevere in this field, especially when he discovered one morning that Younes and his brother had repainted his car. The father’s anger didn’t last for too long. He told Younes, “It doesn’t matter. I too did similar things when I was a child.” About this memory, Younes says, “If my father had remained angry and had not reacted in this way at that time, perhaps I would not have become what I am today.

Younes pointed out that he did not regret immigrating to the United States despite his success in his work in the field of motorcycle design. He actually worked for Harley Davidson and had done many interviews with major magazines, just as he enjoyed the respect of his clients who were impressed by his work. But America has allowed him to realize his dream and make his childhood passion a real success, especially as the American people value art, encourage it and provide the positive energy that allows him to persist.

And about the fact that he combines painting and sculpture in his paintings, Younes El Jai believes that this is the best way to give a soul to his works. “My paintings meet the audience halfway. So, the latter does not need to make any great effort to understand them,” he told Simo.

When it comes to the ideas in his paintings, Younes is inspired by everything and it happens to him everywhere: on the street, during sports activities, even during sleep. Ideas attack him from all sides, and he only gets rid of them when he transforms them into an artistic work, adding that a Moroccan touch remains present in many of his works, because it is an integral part of his culture that he wants to reveal to the whole world, especially since the American people are open to the world and that they love discovery. 

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