A window on Morocco

It’s not very often that a majority of the ex-pat community in Fez get together – but this week saw them congregate for a rare event – the launch of a new photographic exhibition. The venue was the Orientalist Art Gallery run by the friendly Karmouni Aziz and the work on display under the title of “My Morocco” was by Marion Fawlk and Kate Kvalvik.

English woman Marion Fawlk’s work is a series of large, full colour prints, accompanied by a short text in both French and English that give a poetic and, at times, a spiritual response to the subject matter. All of the work is interesting and reflects an immediate reaction to a new country and culture. With a fine eye for her subject matter she has transcended the normal tourist view and gone deeper into colour and texture. For me the best work was a finely composed photograph of a scrap of tattered text on a post, a work that could certainly find a home amidst any collection of . The colour and framing producing a work that could endure many hours of contemplation. The other work that attracted me was of a sun drenched alley in Marrakech. The golden luminosity of the image was an invitation into the hidden heart of the medina.

Where Fawlk is less secure is with a couple of the works that include people. One, of a handsome young Moroccan man is a little too posed and an otherwise interesting image of a woman weaving would have been enhanced by a more creative use of lighting to give the subject matter more depth. Overall her work is of a fine standard and certainly deserves more than a cursory look.

Kate Kvalvik is a Norwegian whose familiarity with Morocco is immediately apparent. The decision to work in a black and white square format is an interesting one that could easily have produced difficult composition and framing issues, but Kvalvik’s background as a graphic artist and book designer give her the skills and experience to more than rise to the occasion. The focus of her work is on Moroccans in various parts of Morocco and is highly successful. A portrait of a strong Berber woman in traditional dress against a mountainous background is a real standout. There is also, we must confess, an interesting detail of our own Riad Zany – a view of an old doorway, a portrait of HM King Mohammed VI and a lemon tree – that I found intriguing.

The exhibition, that runs until May 23 and deserves a visit. You will find the Orientalist Art Gallery at 38 Abdelaziz Boutaleb in the Ville Nouvelle.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news