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1-54 CAAF Marrakech 2023

30/4/2023

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The Contemporary African Art Fair returns after The Long Pause.....

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Above: Katoubia Mosque, Marrakech
A typical Winter's day, when it starts to give way to Spring,
at the end of February in Marrakech, Morocco. 
I took the bus from coastal Essaouira for a day in the Red City - specifically to see the
Contemporary African Art Fair 2023
the annual event returning after an absence of two years because of you-know-what.

Twenty galleries showcasing African artists within the walls of La Mamounia -
probably the most famous of Marrakech's elegant hotels.
A day of art, divine Moroccan interiors and extensive walled gardens
​in the heart of Marrakech - bliss!
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OK, so let's take a wander through the different galleries;
Following are pictures of the ones I liked and a little explanation of why.
​Feel free to research the artists yourself for more of their work and information.

Hako Hankson

Born 1968 - Bafang, Cameroon. Lives and works in Douala, a coastal city of Cameroon.
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Above: The Power of the Image - mixed media on canvas - 150 x 150 cm

Can't help but feel/see a delightful Basquiat vibe here.
It's the visual storytelling I think with confident coloured and varied brush lines.
Love the spontaneity of drawing with a brush and paint.
Look at the details below; the stories within stories.
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Two more of his mixed media pieces on canvas...
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The Guardian of Paradise I
mixed media on canvas
120 x 100 cm
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The Guardian of Paradise II
mixed media on canvas
120 x 100 cm

Amina Agueznay

Born 1963 - Casablanca, Morocco - lives and works in Casablanca.
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Above: Portal #2, 2023
Natural spun undyed wool, cotton, palm husk and palm leaves flat and knotted weave
193 x 151 cm
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These wall weavings were born out of a collaboration with the architect Salima Naji,
​who is one of the most prominent advocates for  the protection of architectural heritage and the preservation of traditional and local building techniques in Morocco. She uses local natural materials in all her projects, most notably: clay, palm leaves, wood and stone. She always works in partnership with local artisans and craftsmen, taking care to renew and develop their techniques and methods.
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Above:  Lefdam brode #5, 2023
Natural spun undyed wool and palm husk (talefdamt) - Embroidery - 48 X 56 cm.   
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Above:  Lefdam brode #1, 2023
Natural spun undyed wool and palm husk (talefdamt) - Embroidery - 52 X72 cm.
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Above:  Lefdam brode #6, 2023
Natural spun undyed wool and palm husk (talefdamt) - Embroidery - 55 X 45 cm.   
​
Feeling an instant 'sense of place' with Amina's pieces.
I'm in-deep with her process - all my senses on alert - I know this journey -
these fibres: wool and palm - I work with them over and over again here in Morocco.
Beginning in the date palm oasis of the Draa Valley; collecting the rough, dusty husks and leaves and combining them with the course, luminously coloured rug wool sourced from the rural souk in Agdz. Using the clipped fleece in white, black and flecked grey fawn - carding it and working with a drop spindle to spin it. Going further and collecting together henna leaves and pomegranate skins to dye the white wool a delicious dark ginger hue. 
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My first steps​ exploring date palm fibre with sheep's wool. Sourced and woven in the Draa Valley of Morocco - back in Feb. 2016
There's an earlier Blog Post of mine on the wool dyeing process mentioned above,
if you're interested here it is: Dying With Henna
It shows a workshop with Mina; an Amazigh woman we work with on my
Cultural Fabric - Fibre and Textile Journey - INFO HERE -  
if you'd like to join me in Morocco for 15 days of fibre and textile heaven.
And back to the Fair....

Mous Lamrabat

Born 1983 - Temsaman, Morocco - lives and works in Belgium.
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Above: The Girl with the Cheesy Earing, 2022
Moustapha Lamrabat is a well known fashion photographer creating striking images.
He's worked for Elle, Vogue Italia, Vogue Arabia, GQ Middle East and Esquire.
Have a look at his portfolio on his website - mousmous.com

Thandiwe Muriu

Born 1990, Nairobi, Kenya - continues to live and work there.
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Thandiwe discovered photography at 14, thanks to her father.
She trained herself using books and the internet and began working
as a professional photographer at 17.
She was introduced to advertising photography and shot her
​first advertising campaign when she was 23. 
Since 2019 she has been concentrating on fine art photography.
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The gallery representing her made the right choice when they chose this colour
​for their booth walls! Don't you think?

Ana Silva

Born 1979, Calulo, Angola - lives and works in Lisbon, Portugal.
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Above: Enfant 010, 2022
An artist-poet, she embroiders her work onto scraps of fabric and plastic bags.
Sourcing abandoned materials: food sacks, packaging, cloth remnants and lace;
they are collaged together to form a new surface on which Ana stitches stories of her homeland: difficulties accessing water, Angola's war of independence and the civil war.

Below: detail of the top right corner above.
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Many artists in the world have difficulty accessing materials for their work.
Instead they explore their immediate environments;
transforming and repurposing abandoned items, literally embedding thought in material to create poignant, sensitive and beautiful art.
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Missed photographing the title of this one, sorry.
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Above: Agua 042, 2021 - 170 x 170 cm

Gopal Dagnogo

Born 1973, Ivory Coast - studied painting in France - based between Abidjan and Paris.
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Loved this piece; the colour palette and variety of lines.
The alternating positive and negative shapes.
That active, warm centre and cool surrounds.
Delicious.
(​I forgot to take a photo of the title plate - got too caught up in the painting).

Mahi Binebine

Born 1959, Marrakech, Morocco - lived and worked in Paris, Madrid, New York and now Marrakech.
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Above and details below: Untitled, 2022
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My favourite Moroccan artist. A painter, sculptor and writer.
His work is presented at the Fair every year and I seek it out.
I love his materials: beeswax, bitumen, charcoal, graphite, paper.

Abdulrazaq Awafeso

Born 1978, Lagos, Nigeria - lives and works between Britian and Nigeria.
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​Just for fun.
These are made from dismantled pallets; carved and painted. 
I like the way the shapes are pieced together with staples.
and then I took myself off for a long relaxing wander around the gardens of La Mamounia..... 
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One of my cake recipes - Moroccanized!

25/7/2018

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​Many of you purchased my slim, hand-bound cookbook "Morning Tea at Sonja's Studio"
before I left Australia.

I've continued baking the cakes, puddings, slices and biscuits ​here in my kitchen in Essaouira, Morocco -​ making adjustments here and there,
and delighting in the new flavours that the
souk-bought ingredients add to the recipes.

One of the recipes, in particular, I decided to "Moroccanize"
I'm happy with the result,
​so I thought I'd share it with you here.



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​Recipe No.12 is Italian Carrot and Almond Torte -
(thank you Diane R. for the original recipe) 
and has now transformed into -

Moroccan Carrot and Almond Torte

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  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 2 teaspoons, or more, finely grated orange rind
  • ¾ cup firmly packed, finely grated, carrot
  • 8 chopped dates
  • splash of orange flower water (don't use rose water)
  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour combined with
  • 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ cup, or more, chopped walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons raw sugar
  • Icing sugar for dusting (if you like)

  1. Preheat oven - moderate 180˚C.
  2. Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan and line with baking paper. I need to triple the paper on the base, for my small oven, to stop the bottom burning.
  3. Beat egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
  4. Fold in orange rind, carrot, dates, orange flower water, almond meal, flour and baking powder.
  5. Beat egg-whites in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
  6. Fold into cake mixture; pour into prepared pan.
  7. Sprinkle top evenly with chopped walnuts, raw sugar and cinnamon.
  8. Place in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked when tested.
  9. Cover the top with foil if nuts are over-browning.
  10. Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes; turn out onto wire rack to cool.
  11. Serve either warm or cold. Dust with icing sugar if you like. 
  12. You might like to add a few dollops of natural yoghurt sprinkled with cinnamon.

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I find shopping for fresh ingredients in Morocco to be inspirational!
Buying from the carts piled with fresh seasonal produce that roll into the Medina everyday, and selecting from the baskets and bowls in the souk, are some of my simple pleasures.
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    Sonja Georgeson

    Painter, Printmaker, Designer, Teacher.
    ​Leads small group creative tours and art workshops in Morocco.

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