Rabat: Three artists stop over in Oudayas

Three artists of different generations, Imane Feriani, Abdelhadi Benbella and their guest of honour Jean-baptiste Valadié, are exhibiting their works at the sumptuous Bab El Kebir gallery in the Oudayas of Rabat, from the 2nd to the 18th October.

This exhibition, whose opening took place on Saturday in the presence of a host of figures from politics, business, the arts and the media, is organized under the theme “Art through three generations” with the support of the Moroccan Ministry of Culture and Communication. It features a collection of works representing the world of artists, dreams and daring.

“We want to present the work and experience of everyone, through their feelings and everything they have experienced and through the freedom that everyone takes to express themselves in front of a canvas,” said the artist Imane Feriani, in a statement to the Moroccan news channel MAP.

Talking about her works, she says that she works a lot on women “because it is a subject that has interested me a lot and I feel a need to talk about women and present them in a very different way”.

Indeed, the works of Imane Feriani offer a wonderful journey into the world of women in all its states and with her touch, the artist conceptualizes it, questions it and seizes instantly and subtly the reaction, with her back turned, in colorful and superimposed compositions.

“For me, the woman is totally assumed and free and, in my paintings, she gives back to let each visitor the choice to discuss with her and imagine her in their own way, but also to say that she is against all obligations and against the lack of freedom,” explained the artist whose paintings overflow with imagination and remain the fruit of striking human encounters with anonymous iconic women.

Regarding the written messages displayed next to her paintings, Feriani confided that she finds them related to her theme and that they express her vision of women and the reason why these women give back in her paintings.

For his part, Abdelhadi Benbella noted that the exhibition represents a new experience that is the result of the meeting between three generations. For him, the word “generations” does not refer to age, but to experience. For there to be a passing of the torch between generations, he continued in a similar statement, there must be a hierarchy and a commitment to plastic art and its concepts that make it an art with a message.

“I congratulate Imane Feriani who represents the young generation for the role she played in this experience, because without her hard work we would not have been able to organize this exhibition,” said Benbella.

In this collection, the artist, who represents the second generation, merges with his subjects to create canvases with vaporous limits: the artist and his work merge. This is, according to him, the best way to free himself from the constraints of conventional art to give free rein to his talent and move forward according to his universe.

For his part, Jean-Baptiste Valadié, very inspired by Morocco in many of his works, did not hide his admiration for the Kingdom. “I have lived in many countries and I have done exhibitions everywhere and when I decided to settle somewhere where I would feel better I ended up choosing Morocco,” said this great traveler.

In 1956, he held his first exhibition in Dakar (Senegal), which was followed by numerous other exhibitions in France, in Japan with Dali and Picasso, in Taipei with Bernard Buffet and in Singapore with Chagall, then in other parts of the world.

Regarding his works, this painter, sculptor, engraver, draftsman, lithographer and illustrator said he draws his inspiration mainly from women, who represent “everything” for him, noting that he uses a lot of recycled objects in his works.

This meeting between generations was marked by the presentation of a trophy of recognition and thanks, on behalf of Imane Feriani and Abdelhadi Benbella, to Jean-Baptiste Valadié, an artist whose paintings engage  the visitor in a discussion around passion, emotion and dream.

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