Mohammed Melehi
1936, Asilah, Morocco.
Mohammed Melehi is painter, sculptor, photographer, graphic designer, teacher, and worked in publishing and policy as well. He is known to be one of the leading modernists of Moroccan art, and since the 1960’s had a recurring theme of waves. They are linked to the beaches of his hometown in Morocco, and integrated with Arabic calligraphy, writings and prayer. Over time, he has continued to commit to this project, by modifying some elements in the research and details, combinations, and mediums.
Till 1955, Melehi studied at the École des Beaus-Arts in Tétouan, Morocco, after which he moved to Europe to pursue his studies in the Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts Isabel de Hungaria (1955) in Seville, the École Supérieuere des Beaux-Arts San Fernando (1956) in Madrid, the Academie des Beaux-Arts (1957-1961) and the Instituti Statale d’Arte in Rome, and the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts (1960-1961) in Paris. Before finally heading back to Morocco 1964, he also went to Columbia University in New York upon achieving a Rockefeller Foundation scholarship.
At Casablanca, he taught at the École des Beaux-Arts as a professor of painting, sculpture, and photography (1964-1969), and around the same time formed the Casablanca group along with Farid Belkahia and Mohammed Chebaa. Their group was known for their modernist style and edification of rooting it in the local visual arts culture.
Additionally, Melehi was part of a leftist cultural journal named ‘Souffles’ between 1966 and 1969, designing the original cover. From 1972 to 1977, he was the founder and director of the cultural journal known as ‘Integral’. He also co-founded and directed a publishing house in 1974, and in 1978, co-founded the Al-Mohit Association and the Culture Moussem of Asilaj – which is an arts festival renowned for its yearly outdoor murals. From 1985 to 2002, Melehi was the arts director at the Ministry of Culture and then became a cultural consultant to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Morocco.
EXHIBITIONS
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Galerie Bab Rouah – Rabat, Morocco, 1965.
Municipal Gallery – Casablanca, Morocco, 1965.
Sultan Gallery – Kuwait, 1971.
Galerie L'Atelier – Rabat, Morocco, 1971.
Melehi, Recent Paintings, The Bronx Museum of Arts – New York, USA, 1984-85.
Institut du Monde Arabe – Paris, France, 1995.
Galerie Bab Rouah – Rabat, Morocco, 1997.
Mohammed Melehi: 1959 - 1971, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art – Doha, Qatar, 2017.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Alexandria Biennial – Alexandria, Egypt, 1958.
Biennale de Paris – Paris, France, 1961.
Rencontre internationale des artistes – Rabat, Morocco, 1961.
Eight Contemporary Artists from Rome, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts – Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 1963.
Festival of Negro Arts, Dakar, Senegal, Belkahia, Chebaa, Melehi, Hall du Théatre Mohammed V – Rabat, Morocco, 1966.
Panafrican Festival – Algiers, Algeria, 1967.
Exposition Manifeste, place du 16 Novembre – Casablanca, Morocco, 1969.
Exposition Manifeste, Djemaa al-Fna – Marrakech, Morocco, 1969.
Festival Al-Wassiti – Baghdad, Iraq, 1972.
Art Contemporain du Maroc à la Fondation Joan Miró – Barcelona, Spain, 1980.
National Museum of Modern Art – Baghdad, Iraq, 1980.
Sao Paolo Biennial – Sao Paolo, Brazil, 1987.