Lamps in ornate brass covered with the intricate design thrown into relief in shadows on the wall, huge lamps hanging from the ceiling, framed wooden Arabic calligraphy and the finest metalwork hangs on the walls and it feels as if one has entered the splendors of the golden age of islamic art with the clear precise lines of modern design. It has the western elegance and economy of style as well as the richness and exuberance of the East. There are silver nickel boxes and superb wooden creations using Arabic geometric and floral designs and calligraphy. Elegant proportions, subtle imaginative and effective use of light , sobriety and richness of design, nobility of materials and a jewellers meticulous precision characterise his work. Yacout Info talked to Yahya Rouach about his art.


Yacout Info: How did you begin your work?

Yahya Rouach: I was born in London and my father came originally from Meknes, my mother is Anglo German. I came over to Marrakech in 2004 from London on a visit with my wife and was fascinated by the brass work and silver designs I saw in the souk . I began by exporting artifacts to London and I started drawing and experimenting with my own designs, having fun and then I began to take it seriously.

I moved to Morocco in 2005 with my wife and six children and set up my workshop and my showroom in Guéliz. My creations are a mixture of East and West . I was selling my work to Harrods and other outlets and night clubs in London and Nieman Marcus a US company which gave me my first substantial order that really set me up. In six weeks I ran out of stock and realised the importance of taking time to create artistic excellence, so clients were encouraged to come to me rather than the other way round. We work strictly to order due to demand. I am entirely self taught and had no formal training. I do what I like and each creation is entirely original. Each piece I create from the smallest to the largest specially commissioned works of art becomes a collector's item transcending time and fashion. I am driven by my passion for design and creative imagination.

Q: How do you select your craftsmen?

A: We select young craftsmen and train them.To produce such treasures I need highly qualified and creative staff. The process is different from the craftsmen in the souk because their work is essentially repetitive whereas we are drawing out the abilities of our people so that they create original work. I don’t believe in pushing people beyond their limits but we do encourage our workers to extend their abilities and this works. We have our workshop in Sidi Youssef with two hundred craftsmen.

The work is intricate and takes weeks and months of dedicated work to complete, hammering and chiselling the brass or nickel silver or wood with the delicate patterns that start their life on paper. Often more than one craftsman works on the design and it becomes a team effort. It is not something that can be rushed and our client’s know this so they are prepared to wait because perfection such as this cannot be mass produced to order. We are well known for our metal work, we design and create collections that are diverse in terms of materials and style using glass, wood, stone and fabrics. From lighting and furniture through to decorative accessories and objets d'art. I am always exploring new materials and forms of artistic expression in order to develop my style and vision.

Q: Who are your clients?

A: Many royal families and important personalities in the Middle East who particularly like our work and we have many clients in the United States and Europe and of course Morocco, so we have an international clientele for whom we we work on private commissions. We recently won the contract to provide leading pieces and decoration for the Royal Mansour Hotel in Marrakech which is owned by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. We do not normally work for hotels but this was special and a great honour. They gave me a completely free hand on what we did for the project and it was a fantastic project to work on. Our clients know our work and come to us when they want something special, of the highest quality and totally original. Each project we work on is unique and has its own special ambience.

Q: You participated in the exhibition of Moroccan artists in Paris and were a judge at Riad Art Expo in Marrakech and you have created the “Prize for Les Palmes de Marrakech” for the Biennale for Contemporary Arts in Marrakech 16- 19 December 2010. Is this part of your effort to encourage artistic excellence in Morocco?

Artistic creativity is flourishing now in Morocco and it is up to all of us to support it. We must strive for excellence, creativity, originality and quality Moroccan artisitic creativity is endless and has an infinite variety and the craftsmen’s role is alive and well and rooted in history. Turkey , Iran and Syria have superb craftsmen in brass, nickel silver and wood but Morocco is definitely the best and Moroccan craftsmen are sort after all over the world