Farid Belkahia
Moroccan painter (1934–2014)
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Farid Belkahia (Arabic: فريد بلكاهية; 1934 - 2014) was a Moroccan modernist artist and education reformer.[1][2][3] He served as the director of the School of Fine Arts of Casablanca from 1962 to 1974, during the period of the Casablanca school modernist movement.[1] As an artist, he worked primarily in painting, metalwork and leatherwork.[4]
Prague Theater Institute, 1959-1962
Brera Academy, 1965-1966Farid Belkahia | |
|---|---|
فريد بلكاهية | |
| Born | 1934, November 15 |
| Died | 2014, September 25 |
| Education | Ecole des Beaux-Arts, 1954-1959
Prague Theater Institute, 1959-1962 Brera Academy, 1965-1966 |
| Known for | Casablanca School |
Early life
He was born to a wealthy family in Marrakesh.[1] His father's circle of friends included the Polish artist Olek Teslar and the French artist Jeannine Guillou.[1] Through Guillou, Farid Belkahia met Nicolas de Staël in 1937.[1]
Education and career
Belkahia studied at the École des Beaux-Arts of Paris 1954 to 1959.[2] He continued his studies in Prague at the Prague Theater Institute from 1959 to 1962 and thereafter furthered his studies at the Brera Academy in Milan until 1966.[2][5] In 1962 he was appointed as Director of the Casablanca School of Fine Arts and served until 1974.
Artistic practice
While he was influenced by the aesthetics of Western minimalism and modernism, he was also inspired by the visual cultures of Moroccan heritage & indigenous Amazigh culture, incorporating related shapes, symbols & patterns into his work.[4] Beginning his practice in the realm of expressionism, Farid expanded his work to incorporate multi-media with a focus on traditional materials & natural pigments prevalent in Moroccan culture, such as henna & pomegranate bark.[5]
Exhibitions
Farid Belkahia: Symbols & Forms, Selma Feriani Gallery, Tunis 15 Dec. 2024 - 15 Feb. 2025[6]
Prints & Printmaking, Dalloul Art Foundation, 05 Sept. 2024 - 12 Feb. 2025[6]
Arab Presences: Modern Art & Decolonisation: Paris 1908-1988, Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, 05 April 2024 - 25 Aug. 2024[6]
The Casablanca Art School, Tate St. Ives, 27 May 2023 - 14 Jan. 2024[6]
Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s - 1980s, The Block Museum, 20 Sept. 2022 - 04 Dec. 2022[6]
Mini Mighty, Fann A Porter, Dubai, 11 May 2022 - 30 June 2022[6]
Art, a serious game, MACAAL, Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, 21 Nov. 2021 - 17 July 2022[6]
Farid Belkahia: The Cosmogonic artist, Selma Feriani Gallery, Tunis, 30 Sept. 2021 - 30 Dec. 2021[6]
Farid Belkahia, Centre Pompidou Paris, 10 Feb. 2021 - 19 July 2021[6]
Revolution Generations, Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art, 17 Oct. 2018 - 16 Feb. 2019[6]
Esoteric Writings, MACAAL, Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, 27 Sept. 2018 - 06 Jan. 2019[6]
Mathaf Collection, Summary, Part 2, Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art, 10 Sept. 2018 - 10 Feb. 2019[6]
Second Life, MACAAL, Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, 27 Feb. 2018 - 05 Feb. 2019[6]
Around the World Through Tondos, Galerie Claude Lemand, 29 June, 2017 - 30 Dec. 2017[6]
Around the World Through Tondos, Galerie Claude Lemand, 02 June 2017 - 30 Dec. 2017[6]
Focus: Works from Mathaf Collection, Vol 2, Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art, 10 Mar. 2016 - 04 Sept. 2016[6]
Modern Arab Masterpieces, Galerie Claude Lemand, 04 Nov. 2015 - 31 Dec. 2015[6]
Focus: Works from Mathaf Collection, Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art, 11 Oct. 2015 - 14 Feb. 2016[6]
Paintings, Sculptures & Projects Garden, Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art, 10 Dec. 2013 - 09 Feb. 2014[6]
Interventions, Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art, 30 Dec. 2010 - 13 Feb. 2011[6]