Anbar El Mokri X marocMorocco

Where are you from Anbar?
I was born in Ottawa, I grew up between Rabat and Casablanca. Since my return three and a half years ago from Canada, I have lived between Casablanca and Marrakech.

What was your childhood like?
I bathed very small in a creative and harmonious environment. My father has always played several instruments (guitar, piano, bass) and my mother (Ghizlaine Chraïbi, editor's note), who is a psychotherapist, has written several novels and also painted – she also exhibited last March in Casablanca. In other words, artistic expression has always been part of my daily life.

What is your field of study ?
I have a Bachelor's degree in political science specializing in the Middle East at Concordia University in Montreal. I then worked in event production and communication, especially on social networks, very formative experiences.

Why painting?
Because it allows me to tell stories, more or less personal, through color but also composition. I am a real color lover. I worked with warm colors for a long time, probably because of the incredible light in which we are bathed every day when we live in Morocco.

Your style ?
I have always had a penchant for the abstract, which allows me a very cathartic freedom of movement. A way of expressing certain emotions, a painting of gesture more than of precision, a powerful means of symbolizing reality. Lately, however, I have immersed myself in the interpretation of the landscapes that surround me, giving rise to figurative and detailed creations. I explore this path with great enthusiasm.

Your inspirations?
Nature ! The branches of a tree, the flowers, the setting sun… I like living things because it is our property and it is common to each of us. I deeply believe in the power of shared experiences.

How did you come to ceramics?
I started painting on ceramics after a stay in Marrakech; during which I realized that the activity of artisans had been completely stopped since the coronavirus crisis. I impulsively bought a lot of vases and other models, thinking that I would manage to do something with them. I really discovered a passion for painting on ceramics, which opens up other dimensions than painting on canvas. Painting on objects has since become an integral part of my activity and I intend to continue on this path.

What does it mean to be a young female artist in Morocco in 2021?
Create a path, and give yourself all the necessary means to follow it and live from it.

What is the most rewarding on a daily basis?
Experiment with new formats and meet other actors from the same milieu.

If you hadn't been a painter?
I would have continued in event production; even if I remain convinced that one day or another, I would still have become a painter.

How did this collaboration with marocMaroc come about?
The brand contacted me to jointly develop an original and ephemeral packaging and I was immediately enchanted by the idea. Our values ​​are common because the universe of marocMaroc has this capacity for wonder that speaks to me a lot, and that I try to transmit in my own way through my painting.

A heart, a leaf, the beginning of a sun, this packaging-capsule is an ode to nature, in pastel tones, why this choice?
Because they are symbols of well-being, hope and reconciliation with nature. Through its DNA, marocMaroc invites you to take care of yourself; an approach that seems essential to me in our daily life which goes at full speed. We often tend to move forward in automatic mode, without taking the time for introspection. Knowing how to afford a break, learning to think about yourself seems essential to me.

Your projects ?
I hope to further develop the “Studio” dimension of my activity, with ever more objects and new collaborations. On the painting side, 2021 is for me the year of deepening and learning.

And in 10 years, where do you see yourself?
Always a brush in hand!

Article Mag marocMorocco Interview by Éléonore A. Bénit, journalist and influencer