Thursday 7 December, 7pm
Moussem Studios
During Khadija El Abyad's two months in the studio, we became accustomed to the scent of henna wafting over canvases spread out on the floor, where large totemic forms gradually emerged. Alongside these, small earth-toned sculptures, reminiscent of organic residues, claimed an autonomous status amidst signs and words, expressing a visual longing that transcends the linguistics associations of poetics.
Within this collection of henna paintings and sculptures, a cartography of the body unfolds, meticulously charting the itineraries between the palm of the hand and the fingers, the gap between the eyebrows. Inspired by diverse henna practices and rituals associated with tattoos, the artist formulates an ornamental grammar. Navigating the space between figurative and abstract realms, this body of work evokes what lies beyond visibility and intimacy, as seen through the lens of language. Each piece harbors a story—a poignant echo of irreversible choices made in faith of collective culture, forging a path toward a new narrative.
Join us at Moussem Studios on Thursday, December 7th, at 7pm to meet Khadija El Abyad, and discover her work. Alongside a presentation of pieces developed at Moussem, the artist will discuss her research into the organic matter of henna.
The artist talk with Khadija El Abyad will be held in French.
Khadija El Abyad is a multidisciplinary artist, born in Agadir in 1991. Currently, El Abyad lives and works nomadically between Rabat and other locations. Her practice revolves around "screens of the body" in multitudinous dimensions: the intimate, the cultural and the social. Her research is nourished by reflection on materials and objects that have a symbolic charge—particularly those that extend from or are produced by the body, such as hair. Through her multidisciplinary practice, she performs to disrupt and counter the coded clichés that surround the female body and the contemporary societal body at large.
Find out more about Khadija El Abyad HERE.
Khadija El Abyad's residency at MOUSSEM is organized as part of Résidences croisées, an exchange project between Belgium and Morocco, supported by the CCME (Conseil de la Communauté marocaine à l'Étranger).
Thursday 7 December, 7pm
Moussem Studios
During Khadija El Abyad's two months in the studio, we became accustomed to the scent of henna wafting over canvases spread out on the floor, where large totemic forms gradually emerged. Alongside these, small earth-toned sculptures, reminiscent of organic residues, claimed an autonomous status amidst signs and words, expressing a visual longing that transcends the linguistics associations of poetics.
Within this collection of henna paintings and sculptures, a cartography of the body unfolds, meticulously charting the itineraries between the palm of the hand and the fingers, the gap between the eyebrows. Inspired by diverse henna practices and rituals associated with tattoos, the artist formulates an ornamental grammar. Navigating the space between figurative and abstract realms, this body of work evokes what lies beyond visibility and intimacy, as seen through the lens of language. Each piece harbors a story—a poignant echo of irreversible choices made in faith of collective culture, forging a path toward a new narrative.
Join us at Moussem Studios on Thursday, December 7th, at 7pm to meet Khadija El Abyad, and discover her work. Alongside a presentation of pieces developed at Moussem, the artist will discuss her research into the organic matter of henna.
The artist talk with Khadija El Abyad will be held in French.
