By Larbi Arbaoui
By Larbi Arbaoui
Morocco World News
Taroudant, Morocco, April 27, 2012
MWN has conducted an exclusive interview with Mr. Rachid Bouskri, a Moroccan artist. Mr. Rachid Bouskri is a talented painter, sculptor, designer and calligrapher. He is from Tinejdad, Morocco, and he has presented his paintings in several national and international exhibitions. Most of his works carry within the deep Moroccan culture and communicate serious messages of tolerance, peace and cultural dialog.
Since the interview is a bit long, it will be published in two parts. ( Part I )
MWN: Good morning, Rachid!
Rachid Bouskri: Hi, Larbi!
MWN: Would you introduce yourself briefly, please?
Rachid Bouskri: My name is Rachid Bouskri. I’m 35 years old, I received my Baccalaureate in (2000) at lycee Moulay Ismail, Meknes. I went to continue my studies at the school of graphic arts for two more years (2003-2005). After that, I enrolled in French studies at the University Arts and Humanities in Meknes. Unfortunately, my devotion to arts in general – plastic arts in particular—took me away from the university after getting my associate degree (DEUG) in French studies. Having quit the university, I joined a course of design for one year in Casablanca.
MWN: What is your story with the fine arts?
Rachid Bouskri: My story with the arts date back to my infancy. As a child, I had these intimate feelings towards nature in general. I had an irresistible desire to draw objects, animals and everything in my surroundings.
For some reason that I can’t explain, we had in our schools a very small amount of time allotted to drawing, painting and handicrafts, the things that, I believe, are important for developing the mind and the cognitive skills of children.
When I was a little child, I could spend hours comfortably in drawing without feeling boredom while with reading I was not able to focus for more than half an hour.
MWN: How was your family environment? It must have been very supportive and favorable for you to have encouraged developing such a talent.
Rachid Bouskri: Not at all! I was raised an orphan! I lived my whole life without a father and away from my mother. But thank God, my relatives were there for me and I have grown up among a lot of cousins my age. I did not receive special treatment from either my uncles or my aunts but, thanks to them, they treated me as if I were one of their own.
The emotional vacuum that I felt from the absence of my parents was somehow filled by the arts. While refining my talent in art, I made a reliable tool with it to communicate with the outside world. However, the absence of the parents in my life didn’t make me introverted. I can’t pretend that I lived a normal life, but I was sociable and had lots of friends; maybe the social characteristic of the small village I grew up in helped bypass that experience.
MWN: In your professional career, have you been influenced by any special person, or famous artists?
Rachid Bouskri: Definitely! In the beginning, I was influenced by the 19th-century art movement, Impressionism and Post-impressionism, especially the Dutch post-Impressionist painter V. W. van Gogh, whose work had a tremendous impact on my paintings.
Later, I developed an inclination towards the works of the Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer Pablo Picasso. With this influential artist, I explored a new style of painting and extraordinary artistic skills that are known in the art world as the Cubism movement.
Nowadays, I consider myself an avid fan of Modern Art. Actually, I do my utmost to be creative within the frame and guidelines of Modern Art through which I hope to create a remarkable niche for myself and which has been a unique experience.
To be continued…….
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