Fez Mourns the Passing of A Master Craftsman

"So sad. The last woodworker passed way ... and so the whole legacy .... Master Mohammed Belmajdoub. Rest in Peace"  - Hamza El Fasiki

Sidi Mohammed Belmajdoub has passed away. For the last few decades he was producing beautiful objects from cedar, thuja, lemon wood and rosewood. From exquisite chess sets to spinning-tops, from small boxes to large spinning-wheels, Si Mohammed produced them all and he did so by hand and foot.

The first thing visitors noticed when approaching his small workshop on the Talaa K'bira was the smell of cedar. The next thing that struck you was the lack of noise. His hand-turned lathe was absolutely silent as he fixed the piece of wood he was working on onto the lathe and then, guiding his chisel, with his foot he rapidly produced the finished object.

Si Mohammed's products were sort after, not just by the passing tourists, but by local Moroccans, who said his work was some of the finest in the Medina.

Si Mohammed had six grown children who all have children of their own. Sadly, none of his children followed his love of woodcarving as a vocation. Most of his children emigrated to France some years ago. He was always understanding about their choices, pointing out that what he did was now easily replicated by machines. However, we beg to differ. His work was unique.

See our  2011 portrait of Si Mohammed here

Rest in Peace Sidi Mohammed Belmajdoub

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Artists' Work on Show in Sefrou

In the Sefrou Medina on Friday April 17 and Saturday April 18 from 3 pm to 6 pm, check out the innovative results of the latest Culture Vulture artists' residency. We will be bringing you a full report tomorrow 

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What Now For the Artisans of Fez?

While master artisans in Fez are battling increased competition from imported goods, and the loss of the traditional apprenticeship system, they still create work of exquisite quality 

On Tuesday April 7, a group discussion was held in the Craft Draft studio at Khrachiyen fondouk at R'Cif, on Fez artisans and their past and future roles. Organised by Culture Vultures, and facilitated by social entrepreneur, musician, and budding copper-smith Hamza El Fasiki, the Artisan Forum was attended by three grand 'malams', or master-craftsmen in the field of copper etching. Also participating where several curious locals, two visiting artists, and a Canadian journalist.

The group who attended the Artisan Forum included master-craftsmen, locals and visitors

Master-craftsmen Mohamed Ben Jebara; Makhtar El Fasiki and Idriss Sakhi shared their perspectives of how they had begun training as children and how their vocation had changed over the decades.

Makhtar El Fasiki, the father of Hamza, said, "I was born in 1951, and started practising in 1959. In 1968, I became a master-craftsman, and in 1993, everybody voted for me to run the Guild."

"I used to only do the most difficult part of the work, and then pass it on to the artisan who worked with me, and then the apprentices," he said. "By this method, I could make five trays a day. Now, I can make only one tray, because I have to do everything myself."

L-R Mohamed Ben Jebara; Kahlil Lazar from Culture Vultures; Makhtar El Fasiki, Idriss Sakhi

In 1997, Morocco signed up to a UNICEF convention on the rights of the child. Overnight, young apprentices were removed from their places of work and sent to school. "We called what they were doing learning a trade: they called it child labour," said Mohamed Ben Jebara.

Now, young would-be-artisans attend a school for handicrafts that was set up by the Moroccan government. Hamza El Fasiki explains, "But the Copper-smiths Guild didn't join, because they didn't agree that it was a trade you could learn in two years, and then call yourself a copper-smith." So the number of new people taking up the trade is small.

Makhtar El Fasiki demonstrates his master-craftsman skills

The guild system, too, has changed considerably in the past few decades. Once all powerful, the guild controlled the quality of what was produced, resolved disputes between craftsmen, and checked for the presence of dangerous chemicals, such as lead. Now individuals set up their own businesses, without necessarily belonging to the guild, and there is less ability to control quality. Artisans may work from templates, rather than being able to draw their own designs using a compass. "You have someone who is known as a mul shekkara, one who owns the bag (of money), without knowing the trade," said Hamza. "Now they operate as businessmen, employing several copper-smiths and re-selling what they produce."

Rather than the old techniques being "frozen in time", the types of products have also had to change, to follow demand. "For example, the French introduced an oval tea-tray that became very popular," said Idriss Sakhi. "So we started to make them." He produced several examples of different kinds of tea trays to demonstrate the evolution of their design. "Every new design has a life of about 10 - 12 years, and then it dies," he said.

Facilitator of the Artisan Forum, Hamza El Fasiki

Hamza said that it was arguable as to whether the necessary adaptation was innovation, or invasion, particularly given the effect of colonialism. Another significant influence has been tourism, where small products are created, specifically so tourists can take them on planes.

"From the 1950s to the 1990s, we made only functional things that were used in houses. Now there are new types of businesses, such as wedding and party caterers, who have created more demand," said Idriss Sakhi.

A growing problem is the increase in plagiarism of original designs. "Every piece used to have the mark of the person who had made it. Nowadays, work is being churned out, which doesn't even have a mark, or they copy the mark from another artisan."

The master-craftsmen continue to produce their wonderful designs, which are much in demand, but they fear that there are few to follow in their footsteps. Makhtar El Fasiki is proud that his son Hamza has chosen to learn his craft, and that he is helping to spread the word about the importance of the artisans of Fez.

Hamza El Fasiki in his father's chair

Words and photos by Suzanna Clarke

To see more on Culture Vultures activities CLICK HERE

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Round Table on Artisans in Fez Tuesday

Artisans are a vital part of the Fez Medina and Moroccan culture. A round table discussion is to be held on Tuesday April 7, called The Artisanship of Fez NOW 

Presented by Culture Vultures and facilitated by artisan, musician and social entrepreneur Hamza El Fasiki, the forum invites key members and supporters of the crafts community and artists who have been connected with artisanship to come together and discuss their perspective of traditional crafts in the fast changing climate of the ancient Fez Medina.

Places are strictly limited, so those interested in attending and contributing should reserve a place now.

When: Tuesday 7th April at 5 pm

Where: Craft Draft, F‘nduk Khrachfiyen, Bab Sid Al Aoued. R’Cif. Fez Medina

If you would like help to get there, meet at 4.45 pm at Bab Sid Al Aoued. 

Info and to reserve a place: Jess Stephens on 06 45 22 32 03. 

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AiR Artisan Residency: Success in Sefrou

Last Friday and Saturday the culmination of a month's work by 10 international artists was on show in Sefrou. Organised by Jess Stephens of Culture Vultures, the artists have been resident as part of the AiR Artisan project 

During September, the artists have worked with local artisans to produce artwork ranging from videos to jewellery, embroidery using human hair, to furniture made from recycled garbage.

Visitors to the exhibition, held on September 26 and 27, included curious locals, city councillors, students and others who had travelled from Fez to see what the artists had been working on. Held in an ancient fondouk in the heart of the Sefrou medina, visitors wandered around the studios and chatted with the artists and each another, while musicians such as jazz guitarist Barry Glick (pictured right) and oud player Hamza El Faski added a laid back atmosphere to the occasion.

As well as the open studios at the fondouk, there were two other spaces nearby featuring a video, as well as a small gallery with two contemporary carpets on display, created as part of the project.

The 10 artists involved in the residency hail from a diverse range of countries. They were Catherine Wilson from Australia, who created a video installation; Hidemi Tokutake, a ceramicist from Japan; Camilia Hall, a designer and artist from Australia; Wilhemina Garcia from the Philippines, an interior designer and social entrepreneur; Alexandra Schmidt from the USA, a radio documentary maker who also works with experimental audio art; Sonia Hamza from France, who works with photography and textiles; Ayano Nishimura from Japan, who creates textile installations; Lisa Bornholdt from Germany, who does installations based on interior architecture; Lucia Perluck, from the USA, who does jewellery, and Fatma Gültas from Germany/Turkey, who works with architecture and philosophy to make installations

Interior designer and social entrepeneur Wilhemina Garcia from the Philippines

Wilhemina worked with local youth from the Dar Shabab

 Philippino interior designer and social entrepeneur, Wilhemina Garcia, involved young people from a local youth centre, or Dar Shabab, in collecting garbage from along the river banks in Sefrou. On the day they did so, a number of other locals joined in enthusiastically.

"We collected a mountain of stuff, and then sorted through it," Wilhemina says. They did an analysis of what the rubbish consisted of. It was mostly different kinds of plastic - and created a pie chart - see below. Working with a local artisan, Wilhemina and the young people cleaned the plastic rubbish, then twisted it into twine that was used to create different kinds of seating.

"I hope that Morocco keeps going with these kinds of environmental initiatives," Wihemina says. "They could really use it." 

Analysis of the rubbish which was collected along the river in Sefrou during the project

Furniture made with twine from the recycled plastic garbage

Another artist participating in the project was Ayano Nishimura from Japan. Inspired by traditional Moroccan embroidery, she used her own hair as thread to create a beautiful border along a piece of fabric.

Ayano Nishimura from Japan

The month long residency proved highly successful, both from an artistic point of view and through interaction with local artisans. Friendships were forged and new skills learned. It was fascinating for the visitors to see the range of what had been created.

The next AiR Artisan residency will be held in March. Details on their blog - link below.

Hamza El Faski entertains the locals

Jess Stephens from Culture Vultures, who organised the residency

See our previous story on AiR Artisan CLICK HERE

For info on AiR Artisan residencies, see the Culture Vultures blog CLICK HERE 

Story and photos by Suzanna Clarke

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Learn More About the Handicrafts of Fez

Fez is not only the spiritual heart of Morocco, it is also the artisanal heart.  While many of the arts and crafts produced in Fez can be purchased in other parts of the country, they are less expensive and more readily available in Fez

Visitors to Fez can best get an idea of the range and quality of products by visiting the Artisan Handicraft Centre. 

The centre is open most days and entry is free. You will find it on Avenue Hassan II.

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Artisans Take Sales Into Their Own Hands

It sounds idealistic, but impractical - getting illiterate artisans in remote parts of Morocco to handle sales of their own work. However, an enterprising group of people has made it a reality with the launch of a new website. It's a remarkable story of innovation and perseverance, writes Suzanna Clarke

In August the e-commerce website Anou - Beyond Fair Trade was launched. At first glance, it looks like a modest version of other e-commerce websites, but the photos of artisans' work it contains represent thousands of hours of labour. The man behind the site is Dan Driscoll, whose aim is to make himself redundant. 

"I wanted to build a platform artisans could use," says Dan. "For artisans to gain the full value of their work they have to be responsible for the complete process."

During his time as a Peace Corps worker in Morocco from 2008 to 2010, Dan discovered that artisans received a small portion of the sales of their work, with the rest going to middlemen. If artisans handled the sales, he reasoned, they could receive all the profit.

Founder of Anou, Dan Driscoll

The idea is that artisans can upload photos of their work onto the site, customers all over the world can buy them on line, and they post them out. It sounds simple, but when Dan came up with the concept he was living in a remote village with no road and no water, hours from the nearest town. "However, we did have internet," he explains. "It arrived in 2006 via cell phone towers and has made a huge amount of difference to people's lives."

Since then Dan and a dedicated team have trained artisans, who have themselves become trainers who go out into the field to teach other artisans - many of them illiterate - how to use the technology. "One of our best trainers, Rabha, has a 4th grade education, and a year ago she couldn't use a computer," Dan says.

Rabha Akkaoui is the President of Cooperative Chorouk. "Prior to Anou, we [Cooperative Chorouk] couldn't sell our products because we were very far from any city and if we did sell something, it was usually through a middleman," she says. "We didn't make much money when we did this. Now we have been able to sell work online, where most of our sales now come from and we have been able to increase our prices.

The new scheme has made a huge difference to Rabha's life, and the artisans she deals with. "I have been given the opportunity to travel to many places I have never been and meet many interesting people in order to train new artisans how to use Anou. The experience has taught me how to better sell and make my own products in order to help the women in my village. And I now understand problems many Moroccan artisans face across Morocco and I am happy to be able to fix them."

Now the Anou project has trained around 200 artisans, and new coops are joining the scheme every week.

"The training is free, and it's free to add products," explains Dan. "We are a non-profit organisation - we are in the process of formalising that in Morocco - and charge a 15% commission on products to cover our costs. All of that money is ploughed back into the business. It costs around US $1,500 a month to run, and we have six trainers who get paid for each training they complete. The trainers are always artisans themselves. The more trainers we bring on, the more we develop an established community of artisans who can support each other."

Not everyone is happy about the new scheme however, particularly the middlemen who feel that it has undermined their profit share. But Dan remains optimistic. "If you look at the market of somewhere like Fez, it's huge," he says. "Handicrafts are a big enough field for all of us." And, he reasons, encouraging the next generation of artisans who can see they can make a reasonable living for their families can only be good for the industry as a whole.

Weavers from Associate Tithrite in Ait Hamza

Dan began working with a group of woodcarvers in 2008, as a Peace Corps volunteer. "Before I came out to the village, I did a three month training course in the Amazigh language. And then I arrived here and found I had trained in the wrong dialect."

He was posted to Ait Bouganez, four hours from the town of Ben Mellal in the Atlas Mountains; one of 26 villages totalling a population of 16,000. Having no-one who spoke English around forced Dan to learn the language quickly. He found that the woodcarvers were having to take wood from the forest without permission, and helped them to legalise the arrangement. As deforestation had happened on a wide scale since the 1980s, he introduced the idea of them planting trees to replace those they used. But, as the woodcarvers received such a small return for their work this was unaffordable. So then Dan started to look for a way to improve the amount the artisans were getting.

Red charm bracelet by Mohamed El Asri

"Initially I tried to get them to use the Etsy and eBay sites, but they are really not designed for first time users. They change the layout of their sites frequently, and people would have difficulties using them." Despite this, Dan's belief in the potential of the internet was confirmed as the woodcarver's incomes grew to around 10 times what they had started with from online sales. In fact they were so successful, the group started to fund local infrastructure projects, focusing on waste management. They installed big metal drums to burn trash, which was too expensive to transport, and afterwards would bury the ash.

Dan took a year's break from Morocco, going to Yemen to work on a national newspaper in English there. However, he was deported from the country, as were most journalists, during the Arab Spring.

He returned to Morocco, with a vision of finding ways to create jobs in rural areas, "and trying to find a way for the artisan community to support itself. I am interested in trying to create resilient communities, with community led development." Inspired by his success with the woodcarvers, Dan looked for a way to replicate and improve the model on a larger scale.

"The internet has really changed the way people live," says Dan. "All of a sudden they can sell their products from their mud house...And its becoming even more accessible with the use of affordable smart phones."

Weaver from Cooperative Chorouk with her naturally dyed rug

"Anou is not so much about e-commerce - it's trying to solve the access problem," Dan says. "We want our buyers to create a personal connection with the artisans. Many of our buyers have travelled to Morocco before. In many ways they are better buying the product online, because they know that the artisan actually receives their money.

"Our aim is to create transparency in the market. We can give you a dirham breakdown on who gets what. We verify what people get paid by not only sending a text message to the head of the co-op who dispatches the product, but also one to the artisan so they know what sold and for how much."

It hasn't all been smooth sailing. When artisans encounter technical problems with the website, they are inclined to believe it is their fault and they have somehow broken the site. "I spend a lot of time travelling out to remote villages finding out what happened and reassuring people," he says.

How successful Anou is remains to be seen, but the signs are promising. Dan points out that the website is "not a power grab, but way of reshaping market in way that benefits the artisans."

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The Fabled Tea-pots of Fez

Jess Stephens with her tea-pot sculpture at Riad Laaroussa

The ordinary, humble tea-pot is not normally an object you would associate with art. However, local artist Jess Stephens has turned 70 of them into a light fitting with a difference, writes Suzanna Clarke

"All the tea-pots are sourced from souks and junk markets," says Jess. "It's about social ritual - they've all got a history. Goodness knows how many cups of tea they have poured. There's a certain charm to the older ones."

The unusual sculpture, titled Community Service II was commissioned as a light-fitting by the owners of the boutique Fez hotel, Riad Laaroussa, Fred Sola and Cathy Bellafronto. It now graces the lounge room of the hotel.

"We get the most surprised reaction from our Moroccan visitors," says Cathy. "They tell us it's the first time they've seen something used like that that has been so much part of their lives. It really engages them, and often they crack up. And they all want to take photos."

Originally from Wales, Jess has been based in Sefrou near Fez for the past six years. She was trained in Fine Art at Kingston University in London and spent eight years in Barcelona. While there she studied for an MA through Winchester University.

As well as her fondness for using found objects in her work, Jess also creates drawings, bespoke jewellery and paintings. Community Service II is the second in a series of sculptures using found objects, and it's a new area for her to explore. "Actually," she says, "this is the first time I've attempted to do a sculpture".

The sculpture was made using a frame, with the tea-pots bolted onto it. Jess says that while assembling the materials, she became known as the "tea-pot lady", and local merchants would seek her out to let her know when they had found another one for her. "I also found a bag of glass droplets (from a chandelier), and I knew exactly where those were going to go."

The original tea-pot sculpture, Community Service I, was commissioned by Vanessa and Vincent Bonnin, who run the hotel and restaurant Dar Roumana, and hangs in their house.

Jess's original tea-pot sculpture, Community Service I

Jess finds living in Morocco an everyday inspiration. "There are so many things people can play with in the medinas' of Morocco," she says.

Her latest artworks are part of a series called Buckets of Dreams and are stylish lamps using old, handmade hammam buckets.


Jess accepts commissions for her artworks, and also runs artisan tours, where tourists can meet the makers of various handicrafts. For further information CLICK HERE. 

Community Service II, hanging in Riad Laaroussa

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Veils and Turbans Exhibition in Fez

Tomorrow is the last day of the exhibition Veils and Turbans at the French Institute's Dar Batha. It's a must see for anyone who appreciates design, texture, fabric and cultural history writes Natasha Christov. 

Two words: dramatic and delicate. Michel Biehn’s latest exhibition, Veils and Turbans, unravels this seemingly dichotomous union within Islamic headdress and outerwear.

Soft, gauze-like fabrics in delicate cottons and silks drape from the 40-foot ceilings of the French Institute’s Dar Batha exhibition space, and the intricate designs and dye patterns transport visitors to a world of hidden identities, mysticism and exotic charm.

Featuring veils and turbans from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Morocco, Biehn’s exhibition celebrates Islamic dress by dissecting its layers to reveal the fine artistic detail. Here, whisper-thin veils fringed with colourful beadwork and complex embroidery hang like t-shirts on a washing line, hinting at the utilitarian nature of these pieces.

Each item in Biehn’s exhibition is an artwork, and many have been painstakingly stitched, then layered to provide – in some instances – total coverage. Biehn’s selection of veils and turbans also gives visitors an insight into countries’ cultural nuances: for example, the niqab exhibited from Afghanistan in a beautiful cornflower blue leaves nothing uncovered – only a wide lattice-like stitch allows the wearer to see. Conversely, the women’s outerwear on display from Pakistan is made up of several different pieces in bold colours and embroidered designs that meet around the eyes.

Kelly-green and burnt orange fabrics with striking patterns separate the veils from the turbans, as if protecting the original wearers’ modesties. Biehn explains that the veil “protects the mystery of a woman ... whereas the turban is worn very differently. It symbolises potency”.

Turbans, including the classic Berber headdress seen in Morocco’s Saharan regions, can reach beyond six meters of fabric. Mohammed Khrou, 23, of Rissani, explains that these turbans provide respite from the harsh conditions of the Sahara, acting “like air-conditioning for your head and protecting your eyes from sandstorms”. Other turbans on display at Biehn’s exhibition are more ceremonial, featuring a taqiyah detailed with geometric embroidery, with a long cotton scarf sweeping dramatically around the head.

Michel Biehn’s exhibition is enlightening, and showcases how different Islamic cultures combine the beautiful intricacies of their countries’ designs and traditions to create their veils and turbans.

Veils and Turbans is on display at the French Institute’s Dar Batha tomorrow from 10 AM to 5 PM. Info: http://www.institutfrancaisfes.com

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