HANAN HARÎT

Morocco - Moroccan female painters participated in the “Colors of Hope" art exhibition launched on June 4 at Jardin Jnan Sbil located in the Fez city of Morocco to show Moroccan heritage, nature, and women’s stories during the Covid-19 pandemic. The art exhibition is open until June 18. The exhibition has been held in collaboration with the Fez-Meknes Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Culture and Communication. Paintings of 13 Moroccan painters have been shown at the exhibition.

They used dark and bright colors together in their paintings

Mariam al-Tahri is one of the Moroccan female painters who participated in the exhibition. She has expressed her feelings about poverty, nature, the sea, and cities in her paintings. Mariam told us she mostly focuses on Moroccan identity and culture in her works. Mariam stated that the lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic have affected them like other artists but the lockdowns allow them to be more productive. “The colors that we use become darker because you have to stay in a closed space. We faced darkness, that’s why I preferred to use dark and bright colors together in my paintings.”

“Artists should encourage society”

Stating that artists should encourage society, Mariam said, “If you are a female artist, you should encourage society more. Female artists should show that we can be carriers of culture, courage, and awareness; we should be courageous while doing this.”

“I feel like a new woman”

“I painted a red rose and brought it with me. Red rose means the smile of life. That’s why I called it, ‘The Smile of Life’,” said painter Shehrazat, whose two paintings have been exhibited. Talking about her second painting, Shehrazat said, “I tried to paint nature in this painting. Nature is the primary source of art. I have painted for three years; I am new in this field. I feel like a new woman when I paint.”