Fez — The Casablanca art gallery L’Atelier 21 will host “Au gré de la lumière” (“At the Mercy of Light,”) a new exhibition by Moroccan writer and visual artist Tahar Ben Jelloun, from January 27 to March 7.
The exhibition brings together ten stained-glass works created from the artist’s paintings, alongside a selection of canvases presented specifically for this occasion. It marks a rare presentation in Morocco of Ben Jelloun’s exploration of stained glass as an extension of his pictorial practice.
Light as a central material
For many years, Ben Jelloun’s visual work has revolved around light as both subject and medium. The stained-glass format allows this long-standing interest to take a tangible form, as the artworks exist through their interaction with light. Transparency, color, and floating motifs structure a visual language in which illumination is the primary compositional element.
In these works, painting moves beyond the opacity of the canvas. Forms appear suspended, colors shift with changing light conditions, and surfaces transform according to their environment. The result is a body of work that expands the artist’s visual universe while remaining consistent with his broader aesthetic research.
From painting to stained glass
The stained-glass pieces were developed in collaboration with French master glassmaker Philippe Brissy, based in Saumur. The process required extensive technical adaptation, translating painted compositions into glass while preserving their chromatic balance and gestural rhythm.
The works were first conceived during a project involving stained glass for a church in Le Thoureil, in the Loire region of France. This experience opened a new path in Ben Jelloun’s artistic practice, leading to the realization of the ten stained-glass pieces now exhibited in Casablanca.
An established figure in literature and art
Born in Fez in 1947, Tahar Ben Jelloun lives between Paris, Tangier, and Marrakech. Internationally recognized for his literary career, he has also built a sustained body of visual work that has been shown in numerous exhibitions and integrated into major private and public collections.
His artworks are held by institutions including the Arab World Institute, the Villa Harris Museum, the Fondation Yannick et Ben Jakober in Spain, and the Museo San Salvatore in Lauro in Italy.
With “Au gré de la lumière,” Ben Jelloun presents a cohesive exploration of light that bridges painting and stained glass, offering Casablanca audiences a focused look at a lesser-known yet significant dimension of his artistic practice.
