Marrakech – L’Atelier 21 gallery unveils Les natures invisibles, a major new exhibition bringing together artists Najia Mehadji and Yamou, on view from February 5 to March 8, at Le Comptoir des Mines in Marrakech.
United by a shared sensitivity to the vital energies that flow through nature, Mehadji and Yamou examine the intimate connection between organic forms and a broader cosmic dimension.
In the exhibition catalogue, curator Olivier Rachet sheds light on this artistic convergence, stating, “Rather than reproducing the visible in a literal way, art makes perceptible the cosmic breath of the universe, the intangible presence of infinity within every fragment of reality we are given to observe.”
“This intuition has long been shared by calligraphers, sculptors, architects, weavers, as well as avant-garde artists.”
Rachet further notes that while floral or vegetal references and fragments of landscape may be perceived in their works, these elements derive their meaning from their relationship to the cosmos, to life, and to the invisible.
Meet the artists behind the art
Najia Mehadji, born in Paris in 1950, is a major figure of contemporary art, widely recognized in both France and Morocco since the 1980s. Her dual cultural background informs a body of work that bridges East and West, placing gesture, calligraphy, and movement at its core.
Her works are held in numerous international public and museum collections, and she has been the subject of several retrospectives, most recently at MAC VAL in 2025.
Yamou, born in Casablanca in 1959, initially trained in biology before fully dedicating himself to contemporary art.
For over four decades, he has developed a distinctive pictorial language situated between figuration and abstraction, with the vegetal world playing a central role.
His practice, deeply informed by reflections on the different realms of the living, is represented in many international institutional collections.
