The House of Morocco Foundation in Paris hosted Wednesday night, an exhibition –meeting celebrating the artistic creativity of Moroccan women, under the theme " Moroccan female arts: Diversity, authenticity, universality".
This cultural event, initiated by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Paris, showed the diversity of the Moroccan women's artistic creation through examples of women artists living in France and working in the fields of pictorial arts, storytelling and Amazigh music and singing.
In a speech on this occasion, the Consul General of Morocco in France, El Ouafi Boukili Makhoukhi, said the meeting aims to pay tribute to Moroccan art in its feminine facet, as well as emphasize the richness and diversity of the cultural tributaries of Moroccan identity.
The meeting was structured around a particular exhibition of the painter Fatema Binet-Ouakka, whose paintings focus on rural Moroccan women, with a strong presence of symbols like the Khelkhal (ankle jewelry), the haik and tattoos.
The artist, who has been living in Paris since 1969, is known internationally for her art and for her commitment to peace initiatives and improving health in the world. She is a member of the board of the National Council of French arts and has received several international awards.
The meeting also put light on the experience of Zakia Ouhmida, a modern day storyteller originally from Ouarzazate and dedicated to reviving the traditional Amazigh tales and enhance their presence in the Moroccan intangible heritage.Today, she uses her traditional culture to support entrepreneurs in building their own brands.
Alongside works by Fatema Binet-Ouakka, a rare collection of Berber jewelry was exposed, showing the richness and beauty of the Berber culture. The collection is made by Raphael Serfaty, dentist and collector of Berber jewelry, who advocates for the restoration and development of this part of the heritage, common to Jews and Muslims in some regions of Morocco.
The meeting was also marked by a lecture of historian Nicole Serfaty, who highlighted the role of some leading female personalities in the history of Morocco, as well as musical performances by singer Amina Bensouda lyric soprano originally from Fez who specializes in the Arab-Andalusian singing and the singer Kheir The Houda, born in Berkane, which became known in the Maghreb and in France for her musical performance
With MAP