The story of Fatna Chaanan, the Moroccan visual artist, is full of hope, even though she was born in the midst of suffering. Following the closure of the borders in Spain due to the Coronavirus emergency measures, she and her son found themselves stranded in Spain for more than four months. Despite this, add to this the fact that she had spent all the money allocated for her short trip, she managed to turn this difficult ordeal into an artistic work. Indeed, she produced 32 paintings which were exhibited at the hotel where she stayed for those long months.
Fatna Chaanan’s solo exhibition was created in Mazagón, Spain, during the Covid-19 crisis. The director of the hotel where she stayed, appreciated her paintings and offered her to exhibit them in the lobby of the hotel.
Fatna Chaanan made her paintings with whatever she could find, such as coffee, lipstick or nail polish, before being able to buy the appropriate material with the help of a hotel cook. Chaanan strongly believes that art allows to release energies and that behind each challenge lies a gift from ALLAH.
It is true that the Coronavirus has caused real social tragedies, but it has helped this artist to produce and has allowed a torrent of feelings to flow from her, resulting in beautiful paintings.
Art helped Fatna Chaanan to overcome the crisis and to cope with being away from her family and other children. Through artistic activity, she was able to break out of her isolation and the emptiness that was undermining her spirits, while at the same time consolidating her perseverance and hope.
While making her paintings, Fatna Chaanan was inspired by the splendid seascape that the balcony of her hotel room allowed her to admire, as well as the sunset and the flamenco music she enjoyed every day. For this reason, she entitled her exhibition “Symphony of Confinement”.
Fatna Chaanan was born in Casablanca. She participated in exhibitions and meetings in almost all Moroccan cities. She has represented Morocco on several occasions in Europe and Canada. She planned to attend the New York Symposium in August 2020, but this event was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Be the first to comment