Rabat: artist Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel exhibits “The days are lengthening”, a collection of monochrome drawings and sculptures

Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at 6:53 p.m.

Rabat – The opening of the exhibition “The days are lengthening” by the multi-influenced Franco-Moroccan artist Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel took place on Wednesday at the “Heart of Beau” gallery in Rabat.

This exhibition, which marks the inauguration of the “Heart of Beau” gallery, is an opportunity for the multidisciplinary artist to reveal his latest artistic research which is presented as a series of monochrome drawings made with oil-based ink on coated paper.

Thanks to his multiple inspirations, the artist has developed in his works a distinctive visual language, inspired by vector writing, comic strips and textiles, as well as by the thinking of Jean Arp, according to which in abstraction, black and white relate to typography and linear drawing with the aim of creating ambiguity between digital drawing, printing and manual tracing.

“This question of the representation of volume and depth on the screen fascinates me, and I try to use it, to rework it in my drawings,” explained the artist to MAP, adding that he developed his own technique combining typography and drawing which allows him to obtain deep, thick blacks, slightly in relief, which reflect the light in a way reminiscent of the light of screens. A process which, according to him, blurs the boundaries between 2D and 3D, thus offering a new dimension to graphic art.

“When you look at my drawings, you wonder if they were printed or traced by hand, the slight reliefs and reflections that I obtain create an oscillating space between the screen and the paper,” he said. noted, specifying that he uses a special anchor with which he draws on coated paper to express the depth of his lines.

“My interest in different forms of writing, such as calligraphy, pictograms and ideograms, led me to question the graphic representation of signs and symbols and to want to integrate them into my works” , he added.

The “Heart of Beau” gallery which hosts the exhibition, aims to be a space where young contemporary artists can express themselves and meet the public and art lovers, indicated the owner of the gallery Othmane Benlamine who aims, through this initiative, to popularize art and make it more accessible to the general public, hence the choice to set up the gallery in a shopping center in the capital.

“The choice of Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel aligns perfectly with the spirit of the gallery, with his works of art which are a little out of the ordinary and which represent modern and contemporary art,” he said. said.

Through this exhibition, the multidisciplinary artist also unveils an exhibition of sculptures made up of shapes cut out of flat metal plates and welded onto a supporting volume structure. Entitled “Oiseau Piment”, these sculptures incorporate an almost comical aspect, on the border between figuration and abstraction, which sometimes evoke familiar forms at first glance.

Born in France, Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel skillfully combines digital and manual techniques in his works and explores the complex relationship between surface and depth. In his work, the artist draws inspiration from Japanese manga and more specifically the work of Yuichi Yokoyama, navigating the realm of abstraction using a monochromatic palette inspired by typography.

The artist began his studies at the Ecole nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where he trained for two years in graphic design and typography. Being attracted by contemporary drawing, he continued his training in another Parisian school of Fine Arts.

Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel has received several distinctions, including the Drawing Prize from the Hugot Foundation, from the Collège de France in 2019, and the Takesada Matsutani Prize in 2020.