Mohamed Chabaa

Mohamed Chabaa – Les Andalousies, 1987

Born in Tangier in 1935, Mohammed Chabâa studied at the fine arts academies of Tetouan and Rome, where he developed a practice at the crossroads of painting, design, graphic arts, and critical theory.

Upon his return to Morocco in 1966, he was appointed teacher of graphic arts and decoration at the École des beaux-arts in Casablanca. Alongside Belkahia and Melehi, he participated in the school's reform, championing an artistic modernity anchored in popular arts and public space.

He opened his design studio as early as 1968, producing furniture and interior design for companies such as Royal Air Maroc.

His work is characterized by rigorous geometric compositions, flat areas of color, and a constant reflection on the relationships between art, architecture, and society. Committed to the Présence Plastique movement, Chabâa took part in manifesto-exhibitions organized in public spaces, notably at Jemaa el-Fna Square in Marrakech in 1969.

An influential theorist, teacher, and curator, he played an essential role in structuring the contemporary Moroccan artistic field and in gaining international recognition for the Casablanca School.