In November 2019, MACAAL welcomed its third artist in residence, the Moroccan illustrator Mohamed Haïti.

Mohamed Haïti’s work fixes the memory of cities and their society. Through series of miniature illustrations which are at once minimalist, geometric and stylized, he immortalizes architecture and documents the culture and customs of cities in Morocco and elsewhere.

Inspired as much by the Moroccan and Berber cultures as by Arabic or Asian calligraphy, the artist experiments new motifs. These multiple influences are thus found in the multitudes of figures that invade his skies, giving the buildings a magical, even mystical aura, placing them out of time in order to include them in a universal history.

During his residency at MACAAL, Mohamed continued his work to safeguard Morocco’s memory and historical, architectural and societal heritage by creating a new series of illustrations about the city of Marrakech. For one month, he documented the religious buildings and emblematic constructions of the city, mixing minimalist representations with simplified and organic motifs inspired by these witnesses of the past.

Born in 1997 in Agadir, Mohamed Haïti discovered art at a very young age through calligraphy, comics and Japanese animation. After a bachelor degree in applied arts, he began studies in graphic design, illustration and comics at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Tetouan, from which he graduated in 2018.

Mohamed Haïti has done several artistic residencies, including “Sur les pas de Delacroix – residence du carnet de voyage” in Meknes, and Green Olive Arts International Residency during which he worked on the city of Tetouan. He has also participated in several group exhibitions in Meknes, Tangier and Tetouan. In 2019, he organized his first solo exhibition entitled Murmures des cités at the Les Insolites gallery, devoted to the city of Tangier and its monuments.

To close his residency, the artist opens the doors of his studio to the public on Thursday, November 28th from 6 to 8 pm to present his artistic practice and his new series of illustrations, Histoires bâties.