Maurice Arama

Maurice Arama – Le chef d’orchestre, 1965

Born in Meknes in 1934, Maurice Arama trained at the École normale supérieure de l’enseignement technique in Paris, in the applied arts section. During his years in Paris, he lived at the Cité universitaire alongside Moroccan artists such as Karim Bennani and Farid Belkahia, where he organized the exhibition Visage du Maroc (Face of Morocco) in 1956. That same year, he learned of his country's independence, an event that prompted him to return and participate in the cultural construction of the young nation.

Upon his return to Morocco, he took over the directorship of the École des beaux-arts in Casablanca in 1960, relocating it from the medina to Boulevard Rachidi. He undertook a major reform of the institution, which included renovating the premises, recruiting teachers, and broadening access for Moroccan students. Although his tenure was brief, he organized several major exhibitions there, including one dedicated to Farid Belkahia, who was chosen to succeed him. A painter, teacher, and art historian, Maurice Arama is also a recognized specialist on Eugène Delacroix and Orientalist painting, subjects to which he dedicated several reference books.