Rabat – Receiving a formal art education is fundamental for most people to establish themselves as an artist, putting them a step ahead of self-taught artists. However, many artists who have not been formally trained have managed to leave their impact on art and produce outstanding pieces of art.
Moroccan artist Hajar Lmortaji serves as a good example, as her professional and academic commitment did not keep her from pursuing her passion for painting. Describing herself as a “self-taught artist,” Lmortaji told Morocco World News about her journey as an artist.
“I never thought of painting as a career, but rather as a way to make me live better in so many ways,” Lmortaji said. Born in the Moroccan capital of Rabat, Lmortaji is a lecturer and a Ph.D. candidate in Education at the University of Lisbon.
“I always loved drawing like all kids,” Lmortaji said, adding that she first started experimenting with acrylic and gouache paint on canvas and paper at around the age of 12.
Hajar Lmortaji’s paintings at the Autodid’Art exhibition in Rabat
As she further delved into the colors and hobby of painting, she realized that painting was her “little refuge” and a “passion” that she cannot live without.
Finding Her Style
Lmortaji experimented with several styles, including painting “perfect portraits and impressionist landscapes,” until she found her niche, expressionism.
“I soon figured out that when painting, I don’t have to feel like I am on a mission, but rather under ‘therapy,’” the Moroccan artist explained, detailing how and why she decided to paint her own way. “My way is to give free way to my feelings.”
Instead of “forcing things or copying reality,” Lmortaji grew fond of starting from a color, not a “predetermined idea,” and let herself dive through her imagination.
One of Hajar Lmortaji’s artworks
“If I have to frame my art in a specific art movement or style, it would definitely be Expressionism, either abstract or figurative … since figures are following me everywhere, so to speak!” she explained.
Speaking about the messages that her art conveys, Lmortaji stressed that “colors and their traits are so autonomous,” arguing that they do not need a “perfect form or specific symbol” to convey a message.
Fully immersed in her own little world, Lmortaji lets her inspiration, feelings, and emotions guide her painting brush and create her many masterpieces.
While the Moroccan artist’s work is a mirror to her soul and a translation of her own thoughts and feelings, several art enthusiasts have related to Lmortaji’s work and constructed their own meaning from it.
“People who appreciate my work have certainly found their own meaning in it, they have certainly interacted with my work in their own personal and definitely different way,” she said.
Autodid’art, ‘First Real Exhibition’
Last week was an opportunity for Lmortaji to put her art on full display, as she participated in the Autodid’Art exhibition. She was one of the eight artists who showcased their work in the exhibition, which took place in Rabat on February 7.
“I consider my participation in Autodid’art as my first art exhibition because it is the most significant for me,” Lmortaji emphasized. While her works have already been featured in other exhibitions in “close environments for a specific and chosen public,” last week’s collective art exhibition marked “the beginning of a new era” in the Moroccan painter’s “artistic experience.”
Hajar Lmortaji at the Autodid’Art exhibition in Rabat
Lmortaji expressed her gratitude to the Al Mada Foundation for organizing the exhibition and bringing together artists “from all walks of life … under the umbrella of ‘Autodidacticism.’”
“It’s a unique experience, a special atmosphere and a very enriching contrast, which made my participation taste and feel extremely fulfilling,” she concluded.
