The Abla Ababou Gallery is hosting an exhibition from April 19 to May 30 that brings together the contrasting yet complementary worlds of two artists and life partners, Florence Arnold and Christophe Miralles.
“This art show brings together two artists who are also a couple: Florence Arnold and Christophe Miralles. Despite their distinctly different artistic worlds, their works complement each other beautifully,” Ababou, gallery owner, told Morocco World News. “Florence works with light and airiness. She’s a bit like the sky. Christophe, on the other hand, is more grounded, more rooted in the earth.”
Arnold, who was born in France and raised across several African countries, including Morocco, Cote D’Ivoire, and Cameroon, says her artistic approach is deeply influenced by light. “That’s why I use a lot of LEDs in my sculptures. It’s my way of celebrating elevation, lightness, and ascension.”
She also brings that same sensibility into her paintings. “You’ll notice these facets, these corners. They’re very delicate, and I try to infuse them with light as well. For this particular piece, Christophe painted the background, and I added the drawing on top. There’s a gentle dialogue between our two approaches.”
Miralles, by contrast, focuses on the human element. “I’ve been painting for several years now, and my work consistently revolves around the human being. What interests me is our relationship with humanity, who we are, where we’re going.”
One of his paintings in the show depicts “two floating figures, suspended in a world that reflects our current reality, a sense of drift, of uncertainty about the future.” He adds, “Yes, the blue background you see is part of a triptych. It’s highly colourful. My aim was to explore the use of colour and also to incorporate animals, alongside humans. Both are present in these works.”
Their joint work, Arnold says, carries a unique weight. “This is probably the only work we can say we both truly love, because it’s not just mine. It’s ours.”
The exhibition has also drawn support from the private sector. Groupe Mfadel, a Moroccan real estate developer, is sponsoring the art show.
“We’re proud to sponsor this exhibition, as it resonates deeply with us,” says Yassine Mfadel, the company’s CEO. “There’s a strong parallel between real estate development and artistic creation. When we conceive our projects, we aim to infuse them with an artistic sensibility.”
He continues, “We want each project to carry a touch of artistry and to contribute to the visual identity of the cities we’re present in. Supporting artists also makes perfect sense. They produce thoughtful, inspiring work. We see it as our responsibility to stand by them and support this noble craft.”
