Moroccan modernist and painter. 

Ahmed Cherkaoui was born on 2 October 1934 in Boujâad, Morocco; and passed away on 17 August 1967 in Casablanca, Morocco.​ Considered as one of the leading figures of modern Moroccan art, Cherkaoui was amongst the first generation of artists of post-independence that have developed and defined a new visual lexicon. 

Born in the mystic town of Boujâad, Cherkaoui is a descendant of the Sufi brotherhood of the Cherkaoua, founded in 1566, from his paternal side. His Amazighi mother, who passed away when he was young, belonged to the Berber tribe Zayanes, originating from the Khenifra region in Morocco’s central Middle Atlas mountains. The tribe is renowned for its long tradition of weaving and handicrafts. Notably, Cherkaoui’s family background has informed much of his work and was also a source of inspiration. 

From a young age, Cherkaoui attended Quranic school, where he mastered calligraphy. He then completed his secondary school studies in Casablanca, where he also produced a number of posters, mural paintings for schools, and advertising signage for a living. Upon Morocco’s independence in 1956, Ahmed Cherkaoui moved to Paris to study graphic art at the École des Métiers d’Art. As a student in Paris, he was immersed in the artistic environment and was exposed to Western modern art. In particular, he discovered artists such as Roger Bissière (1886-1964) and Paul Klee (1879-1940) who left an indelible mark on his heart and work. After graduating in 1959, Cherkaoui started his first job as a calligrapher and a graphic designer at a French music company called Pathé-Marconi. There, he worked in the Oriental department creating samples for album covers. He held his first solo exhibition at Atelier de Lucienne Thalheimer in Paris the same year. He exhibited works that experimented with burlap not only as a material, but also as an aesthetic, to create abstract works. 

In 1960, Cherkaoui resumed his studies by enrolling at l’École des Beaux Arts de Paris where he focused on the technique of fresco painting. Afterwards, he exhibited his work for the first time in Morocco in a group exhibition at Galerie Bab Rouah in Rabat. In 1961, Cherkaoui was awarded a scholarship – as part of a cultural exchange between Morocco and Poland – to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw for a year. During that period, he researched Polish graphic art and quickly realised the importance of signs, symbols, and shapes in his artistic practice. From this point forward, his interest developed into an in-depth research on Amazighi, Arabo-Islamic, and Talismanic signs and symbols. Upon his return to Paris in 1962, he exhibited the artworks that resulted from his research trip in Warsaw at Galerie Ursula Girardon, which was hugely successful. In the following years, he participated in many solo and group exhibitions in France, Morocco, Algeria, Japan, Spain, and Sweden. Concurrently, his work went through different phases: from dark to light, abstract to symbols, and gestural to textural. 

In 1965, Cherkaoui taught drawing lessons at the Technical College in Beaumont-sur-Oise. Moving back and forth between France and Morocco, Cherkaoui sought inspiration from his native country, and was determined to establish himself as an artist in France. During his visits to Morocco, he dedicated his time to research the national heritage and folklore art. In his work, he primarily depicted symbols, signs, and motifs drawn from Amazighi tattoos, textile, pottery, jewellery, and handicraft ware. As such, he borrowed the characteristics of Moroccan culture to introduce a new visual language unique to his work. In 1967, he decided to dedicate the year to work on a project of illustrations for Dîwan d’Al Hallaj and also teach in Morocco. However, upon his return to Casablanca, Cherkaoui passed away at the age of thirty-three due to health complications from an appendectomy.  

Following his sudden death, a retrospective series entitled Hommage à Cherkaoui was organised in Paris, Rabat, and New Delhi. His work continued to appear in group exhibitions in Europe, North Africa, West Asia, and North America. Cherkaoui’s work nests in private and public collections, including l’Institut du Monde Arabe (Paris), Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Musée Mohammed VI d’Art Moderne et Contemporain (Rabat), Dalloul Art Foundation (Beirut), Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah), and Mathaf: Arab Musem of Modern Art (Doha). 

Resources 

Ahmed Cherkaoui. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2022, from http://www.encyclopedia.mathaf.org.qa/en/bios/Pages/Ahmed-Cherkaoui.aspx  

Ali, W. (1997). Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity. University Press of Florida. 

Cherkaoui, A., & Alaoui, B. (2021). Ahmed Cherkaoui: Entre modernité et enracinement. Kulte. 

Lenssen, A., Rogers, S., & Shabout, N. M. (2018). Modern art in the Arab World: Primary Documents. The Museum of Modern Art. 

Takesh, S., & Gumpert, L. (2020). Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab world, 1950s-1980s. Grey Art Gallery, New York University.