M'Barek Bouhchichi

Bouhchichi’s introspection implies a questioning of space and geographical, physical or mental divisions between Sub-Saharan and Northern Africa. The three works created by the artist for this exhibition all share a connection to his close environment. “Terre Verte” are green ceramic pieces from Tamegroute in southern Morocco are volumes reminiscent of tombstones and are a tribute to the artisans of this region. The realization of these ceramics is an ancestral art that has been handed down from generation to generation for 400 years. Here, Bouhchichi draws our attention to the appropriation of water and agricultural land that the Moroccan black community, who inherited agricultural work as sharecroppers, has limited access to. The process of creating these ceramics by fusing terracotta, clay, water and fire, recall the strong and tense relationship that men have with the earth but also between the diverse communities of Morocco, which gives way to unequal relations. By limiting the tones of his tombstones to different shades of green and yellow, M’barek Bouhchichi directs our gaze into a gradation of colour borrowed from nature that reminds us of Moroccan green olives and their ochre tones, of the Sahara’s desert landscape. Bouhchichi’s work, through their play of nuances and contrast of warm and cool tones, evoke a sense of death but also of renewal.