Fez — Marrakech-based artist Youssef Lamima has built a distinctive visual universe rooted in color, symbolism, and cultural memory.
Through his space, Lamima Gallery, he continues to expand that universe, offering visitors an immersive encounter with his bold and highly personal artistic language.
Born in 1980 in Marrakech, Lamima is a self-taught painter whose work draws heavily from mountain landscapes, heritage, and the everyday strength of Amazigh women.
His artistic journey began at a young age, painting on wood alongside his grandfather before transitioning to canvas.
That early foundation remains visible in the raw textures and handcrafted feeling of his compositions.
A style built on symbols and structure
Lamima’s paintings are instantly recognizable. Faces dominate the canvas — fragmented, geometric, layered with patterns and symbols.
Eyes are exaggerated and central, often circular or spiral-like, suggesting awareness, memory, and observation.
His compositions combine sharp lines with curved forms, creating a balance between rigidity and fluidity.
Triangles, stars, suns, and abstract motifs echo Amazigh iconography, while decorative elements recall traditional Moroccan textiles and crafts.
Color plays a defining role. In some works, he uses earthy palettes — ochre, sand, terracotta — grounding the painting in North African landscapes.
In others, vibrant blues, yellows, reds, and turquoise energize the canvas. Even when working in black and white, he maintains intensity through intricate line work and dense patterning.
Between tradition and modern abstraction
Lamima’s art exists at the intersection of tradition and contemporary abstraction. While rooted in Moroccan cultural identity, his faces also evoke Cubist fragmentation and modern symbolic portraiture. The result is work that feels both ancestral and current.
His paintings are not portraits in the classical sense. They are constructed identities — emotional maps of memory, heritage, and imagination. Each piece feels narrative without being literal.
Lamima Gallery: A creative hub in Marrakech
Through Lamima Gallery in Marrakech, the artist presents both permanent and rotating exhibitions of his work.
The gallery serves as a platform for collectors and visitors seeking contemporary Moroccan art that remains deeply connected to local culture.
Over the years, Lamima has exhibited in Morocco and abroad, including in Europe and Australia. His gallery reflects this expanding footprint while staying anchored in Marrakech, the city that shaped his visual vocabulary.
What distinguishes Lamima’s work is not just its aesthetic boldness, but its coherence. Every canvas feels part of the same world — one built from memory, symbols, and color.
In a city known for artistic energy, Youssef Lamima has carved out a space that is unmistakably his own.
