Fez – Moroccan artist Hajar Lmortaji has officially closed the doors on her evocative solo exhibition “Horizons Croisés” (Crossed Horizons), which ran from May 31 to June 12 at the National Gallery Bab Rouah in Rabat.
Over the course of two weeks, the exhibition welcomed visitors into a richly emotional and cultural exploration of the ties that link Morocco and Portugal, two countries with layered histories and intersecting identities.
Far from a traditional display of visual art, “Horizons Croisés” was a personal journey, a poetic conversation between cities and souls.
Lmortaji used abstraction as her language of choice, working with symbolic forms and shifting textures to engage themes of memory, presence, and dream states. The result? Paintings that don’t merely hang on walls, but hum with feeling.
At the heart of the exhibition is Lmortaji’s belief that art should move us, not only emotionally but across boundaries.
“I think art could be a real bridge between cultures and between countries, especially when it comes from the heart. It goes to the hearts,” she told Morocco World News (MWN) in an interview at the exhibition’s close.
As a self-taught artist, Lmortaji’s work reflects both deep introspection and a broader cultural vision.
Her canvases are not designed for easy interpretation, they ask viewers to slow down, to wonder, to feel.
The abstract forms offer fragments of stories, blurred memories, and suspended emotions that feel both personal and collective.
This duality, intimate yet universal, is where Horizons Croisés finds its strength.
Lmortaji draws from her own experiences, but her message extends outward.
The exhibition serves as a reminder that identity is never static; it’s formed in relation, shaped by encounters, and constantly evolving.
Through visual storytelling, she captures the complexity of belonging, not just to a nation, but to shared histories and imagined futures.
The Rabat showing marked a significant milestone for Lmortaji, who used the opportunity to reflect on her growth as an artist.
She noted to MWN how the exhibition allowed her to see her own work from a different angle, through the eyes of her audience.
In a digital thank-you message, she expressed her gratitude to all who visited, supported, and connected with her art.
And though the physical show has ended, Horizons Croisés leaves behind a lasting impression: art can speak where language falters, and that it still has the power to bring us closer.
