Back to the Future
Mohamed Melehi
Critical text
With a practice encompassing photography, mural production, design and graphic design, Mohamed Melehi (Assilah 1936–2020 Paris) was a central figure in the Moroccan modern art scene. A symbiosis of traditional local crafts and pure geometrical abstraction, his multimedia production reflects his prolific cosmopolitan career. Melehi moved to New York in 1962 where, inspired by the urban landscape and the bustling cultural atmosphere, he developed the brightly-coloured abstract geometric swirls that would become characteristic of his aesthetic. He then returned to his home country to participate in the cultural revolution brought about by the School of Casablanca where, alongside Farid Belkahia, Mohammed Châbaa, Bert Flint and Toni Maraini, he redesigned the artistic education system by integrating calligraphy, architecture and photography in the curriculum. In the following years, Melehi co-founded the ‘Integral’ art review (1971) and initiated the Assilah festival (1978), inviting artists to create murals throughout the city’s medina and advocating for an anti-elitist vision of culture. In 1984, he was appointed director of the arts department at the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, consecrating his role as a fundamental actor in the country’s cultural life.
The artist’s voice
Zen is a philosophy that defines the world in concepts. This would impact my behaviour. The first thing to do was to let go of clichés, to rid myself of the chains that held me back. Thus my sharp opposition to academism, for example. I came to the conclusion that visual art, or photography, requires a trans-artisanal approach. It's about more than know-how, but what to know. What will you communicate through this know-how? Artistic dexterity lies elsewhere, it is not a matter of drawing well. Learning to draw is good, but what will you do with that skill? Yes, there was the Classical period, and Romanticism, but that is in the past. What I have kept, from my training, is that cultural periods follow one another, and one must avoid becoming attached to any given period. This is the essence of evolution.
Artworks
Videos
Yasmine Berrada presenting Mohamed Melehi
Enjoy a video presentation of the work of Mohamed Melehi (artist) by Yasmine Berrada (gallerist)