Omar Bouragba : The Painter in Perpetual Motion

He moved with his family to Rabat when he was sixteen and it was there that he later became artist.and became part of the artistic milieu of the 1960’s. he met two well known painters, Jilali Gharbaoui in 1965 and Ahmed Yacoubi in 1968, and this influenced his decision to become a painter. His first exhibition was in 1965 at the Mammounia Gallery in Rabat. It was in the Moroccan capital that he developed his painting and found his unique voice as an artist with his profound sense of movement. He has always been interested in the complexity of the inner life and the immutability of the soul. Everywhere in the world where he exhibited his paintings his painting has captured the attention and interest of the public. He has exhibited his work nationally and internationally for forty years to wide acclaim.

IN 1971 he returned to Marrakech and met an Italian at the Café de France on the Place Jemma el Fna and they began to talk about Arabic script and letters. and Omar described his experience of painting and the importance in his work of the Arabic letter Noun, the hemisphere which aspires to perfection. The italian asked if he knew of Ibn Al Arabi , because he also spoke about the letter Noun in the same way that Omar had.

He affirms that the Arabic language provides the very best way to learn about spirituality for all professions . He studied the Arabic language closely and through this became well versed in muslim spirituality. When one talks of God and the awareness of self, they are formed by two letters the Qoum, the universe and the Noun the commanding word of God. this is the basis of the invisible spiritual world.

He recognised this and that the final perfection is the sphere, the moon. This turns the muslim to prayer and to find God, who is the origin of all things. He is a painter of movement and motion and the early inspiration of his work was Arabic script and the study of its creativity and progression. The act of writing is a motion in itself and through this we return to the world of movement. The universe is circular.The world circles the sun .

Arabic calligraphy is alive sensual and universal. The circular movement of the letters is very important for muslims. It represents the entire world We rejoin Ibrahim. He searched for water and built the house of God . It is for this reason that he sacrificed all for God , even his own son. The act of writing is a motion in itself and through this we return to the world of movement. The universe is circular.Our world circles the sun .

He is both a poet and a painter . he remarks that they are both means of expression there are differences in technique but the inspiration is the same. Painting depends on form and colour . There are matters that cannot be described in poetry and vice versa. Ideas come to him and are expressed in his painting. In the 60’s and 70’s there was a great deal of poetry and he sometimes used poetic writing in his paintings.He began to paint forty years ago in 1959

He did not begin with calligraphy He began as a painter learning his art in the eastern style He painted different subjects portraits , landscapes and subjects with different styles and expressions up until 1967. It was then that he destroyed all his previous work and began anew. He began to develop his unique art starting with the circular motion of the letter Noun. He points to a painting on his wall of 1970 which shows the circular motion which mirrors the moment of creation. That was the outcome .He is not a calligrapher. He loves Van Gogh and Matisse and many others who influenced him by their life, passion and painting, especially Van Gogh.

He remarks that an artisan never signs his work. Individuality does not exist for him. It is the national spirit and philosophy which motivates him. The artisan works collectively, not as an individual.

The Painter works as individual whether we speak of Moroccan painters or other nationalities. Painting is the act of an individual from personal experience and is at the sametime universal.

However he also identifies with the role of the artisan in his work. For him there is no difference between an artist and an artisan, but because of the nature of the art world today a painter is compelled to sign his name for reasons of authenticity. The artisans work is essentially repetitive but he is also an artist. They multiply their work but the artisan remains unknown and doesn’t sign his work because it is a collective work. Painters however are obliged to sign their work to establish its provenance. Modern civilization emphasises the individual.

Aware of the pitfalls of repetition, Omar Bouragba has always refrained from defining a path or direction to leave the adventure of painting open. He knows that art in general is a reflection of perpetual renewal.

He begins his painting with a blank canvas and his creative energy imposes itself on the canvas . He does not know what he is going to paint. There are many periods and cycles of his painting and he never swims in the same creative river twice. The act of creation is an individual act as it is taken on a new form each time and he does not know where his artistic spirit will take him. When he is finished he stops and reflects on his work. The length of time he takes depends on the size of the painting. It may take days or weeks. His studio is in his house.

Whether his audience is international or Moroccan he feels that all men are the same and have the same feelings about his art and God and creation. Muslims are perhaps more aware of the spirituality of his work but there are no intellectual frontiers or differences between us. Belief and perception of fundamentals are essentially the same. Barriers are created by fanaticism and possessiveness.Children are always the same, united in play. There are no barriers for the young and innocent. His genius and sensitivity have transformed his art into a universal expression of faith and has won him national and international acclaim.

He rejects the idea that he is painting as a muslim. He is painting as a man and a member of the human race for everyone.

The exhibition at the Agora Gallery from 9-31 October 2010 marks his return to exhibiting in Marrakech after more than six years The Agora Gallery will present his work over the last decade reflecting the still serene interior life and spirituality. Each painting has a place in a global structure and the harmony of colors creates a finely nuanced deep emotion creating an atmosphere of quiet contemplation.

He is both a poet and a painter . he remarks that they are both means of expression there are differences in technique but the inspiration is the same. Painting depends on form and colour . There are matters that cannot be described in poetry and vice versa. Ideas come to him and are expressed in his painting. In the 60’s and 70’s there was a great deal of poetry and he sometimes used poetic writing in his paintings.He began to paint forty years ago in 1959

He did not begin with calligraphy He began as a painter learning his art in the eastern style He paint different subjects portraits , landscapes and subjects with different styles and expressions up until 1967. It was then that he destroyed all his previous work and began anew. He began to develop his unique art staring with the circular motion of the letter Noun. He points to a painting on his wall of 1970 which shows the circular motion which mirrors the moment of creation. That was the outcome .He is not a calligrapher. He loved Van Gogh and Matisse and many others who influenced him by their life, passion and painting, especially Van Gogh.

He remarks that an artisan never signs his work. Individuality does not exist for him. It is the national spirit and philosophy which motivates him. The artisan works collectively, not as an individual.

The Painter works an individual but we speak of Moroccan painters or other nationalities. Painting is the act of an individual from personal experience and is at the sametime universal.


He rejects the idea that he is painting as a muslim he is painting as a man and a member of the human race for everyone.

The exhibition at the Agora Gallery from 9-31 October 2010 marks his return to exhibiting in Marrakech after more than six years The Agora Gallery will present his work over the last decade reflecting the still serene interior life and spirituality. Each painting has a place in a global structure and the harmony of colors creates a finely nuanced deep emotion creating an atmosphere of quiet contemplation.

However he also identifies with the role of the artisan in his work. For him there is no difference between an artist and an artisan, but because of the nature of the art world to day a painter is compelled to sign his name for reasons of authenticity. The artisans work is essentially repetitive but he is also an artist. They multiply their work but the artisan remains unknown and doesn’t sign his work because it is a collective work. Painters however are obliged to sign their work to establish its provenance. Modern civilization emphasises the individual.

Aware of the pitfalls of repetition, Omar Bouragba has always refrained from defining a path or direction to leave the adventure of painting open. He knows that art in general is a reflection of perpetual renewal.

He begins his painting with a blank canvas and his creative energy imposes itself on the canvas . He does not know what he is going to paint. There are many periods and cycles of his painting and he never swims in the same creative river twice. The act of creation is an individual act as it is takes on a new form each time and he does not know where his artistic spirit will take him. When he is finished he stops and reflects on his work. The length of time he takes depends on the size of the painting. It may take days or weeks. His studio is in his house.

Whether his audience is international or Moroccan he feels that all men are the same and have the same feelings about his art and God and creation. Muslims are perhaps more aware of the spiritualityof his work but there are no intellectual frontiers or differences between us. Belief and perceptionof fundamentals are essentially the same. Barriers are created by fanaticism and possessiveness.Children are always the same united in play there are no barriers for the young and innocent. His genius and sensitivity have transformed his art into a universal expression of faith and has won him international and national acclaim.

He rejects the idea that he is painting as a muslim he is painting as a man and a member of the human race for everyone.

The exhibition at the Agora Gallery from 9-31 October 2010 marks his return to exhibiting in Marrakech after more than six years The Agora Gallery will present his work over the last decade reflecting the still serene interior life and spirituality. Each painting has a place in a global structure and the harmony of colors creates a finely nuanced deep emotion and an atmosphere of quiet contemplation.