BENCHAKROUN ABBES

Abbes BENCHEKROUN Abbes BENCHEKROUN is born at Fes in December 15th 1947. He made his studies in the Fine Arts Institute in Casablanca. Since 1984, he began his speciality in painting. He died in May 2010. For those who knew him, Abbes Benchakroun was a modest painter with a prolific production. His figurative paintings were marked by a quest of dream, light and movement. Born at Fes in December 15th 1947, Abess Benchakroun lived in Sefrou until the age of 17. He established in Kenitra then Rabat. Since 1971, he establishes in Casablanca, a city that he will not leave until his burial at Sefrou in 2010. After following his studies in the Fine Arts School, he integrated Lardeco advertising agency, than the Chriki workshop. After exercising on the calligraphy art in his professional activity, he decides since 1984 to devote entirely to painting as a way of going to where his tastes takes him. His artworks in gouache on paper were sold in Mohammed V avenue. Thereafter, his acquaintances recommended him to their relatives. It was not until the early 90’s that Abbes Benchakroun starts to use canvas as a support and trying oil painting that he will leave quickly for acrylic. He considered the oil painting as an obstacle to his creativity because « it takes a lot a time for drying » as he was saying. Since then, Abbes Benchekroun created his own style with a personal pallet. His figurative artwork was specifically Moroccan : street scenes, markets, family life around the table, dances, hammams, a baker baking bread … he has even tried landscapes and murals. Abbes Benchekroun has practically sacrificed his life for the artistic creation. It happened to him to paint in entire nights and even not leaving his workshop for several days, neglecting food and sleep. Abbes acquired a perfect mastery with painting and its subjects that permitted him to fix on canvas what his soul and hands were inspiring him. Abbes became lonely, while his paintings and artwork became more and more popular and were followed by a larger audience. His artworks were sold with modest prices, and were popular among company employees how waited his passage impatiently. His artworks figure among the collections of certain financial institutions as Attijariwafabank, La Société Générale, La Banque Populaire and among several individuals in Casablanca, Marrakesh, Fes, Rabat, Tangier and also in France, Belgium and the United States. Despite this influence, Abbes Benchekroun has always refused to exhibit his artworks individually or participating in collective exhibitions. His artworks were not able to be locked up in his artwork waiting an exhibition, as he said, they have to float and move along.