Fondation Melehi — Mohamed Melehi, 1936–2020

Mohamed Melehi (1936–2020)

Mohamed Melehi was a pioneering Moroccan artist and a key figure in postcolonial Moroccan art. A painter, sculptor, photographer, muralist, graphic designer, and cultural activist, he played a central role in the Casablanca Art School, where he redefined art education by incorporating Bauhaus philosophy and championing the integration of Moroccan craft traditions with contemporary abstraction.

Melehi's early artistic journey took him from Morocco to Spain, Italy, and the United States. His exposure to Hard Edge painting in 1960s New York deepened his approach to abstraction, leading to his signature style of vibrant, undulating waves. Rejecting the conventional canvas, he often painted on wood and used lacquered car paint, emphasizing accessible materials.

Beyond his individual practice, Melehi was a committed cultural activist. He co-designed the radical Moroccan journal Souffles (1966–73) with Mohamed Chabâa and Farid Belkahia, and co-founded the art and culture journal Intégral (1971–78) with Toni Maraini, Tahar Ben Jelloun, and Mostafa Nissaboury.

Melehi also launched his own publishing and graphic design studio, Shoof, which produced art and poetry books, among other projects. In 1969, he organized Morocco's first open-air exhibition in Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna square with other artists from the Casablanca Art School, asserting art's role in public life and political resistance, and in radical collective learning.

This approach to art extended to the Assilah Moussem, an arts festival co-founded with Mohamed Benaissa in 1978, which transformed his coastal hometown of Asilah into an international arts hub. The regeneration of Asilah later received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1989.

Beyond the festival, Melehi became increasingly involved in building the cultural infrastructure through which Moroccan art could be produced, exhibited, and discussed. His influence extended into design, architecture, and muralism, reshaping Moroccan visual culture.

From 1985 to 1992, he served as Directeur des Arts at Morocco's Ministry of Culture, contributing to the development of national cultural policy and the promotion of contemporary art. He was also active in the Association Marocaine des Arts Plastiques, serving as its president and advocating for greater recognition and institutional support for Moroccan artists. Melehi was awarded the Order of Merit by King Mohammed VI in 2008.

His work has gained international recognition, with acquisitions by Tate, MoMA, the Centre Pompidou, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. He passed away in Paris in 2020, leaving behind a profound legacy that continues to inspire contemporary artists and scholars in Morocco and beyond.

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