Opening of the exhibition “The Instinct of Gesture” by artist Hassan Kouhen

Casablanca – The opening of the solo exhibition “The Instinct of Gesture” by painter Hassan Kouhen took place Wednesday evening in Casablanca.

Open until December 20, this exhibition brings together some twenty works in large and small formats, inviting visitors to discover the world of abstract painting where gesture precedes thought.

The canvases offer compositions born from an immediate connection between the artist and his medium, where the trace of the brush, hand, or squeegee expresses an emotion rather than representing reality. Black predominates, while color takes over in some works, alongside a floral series.

In a statement, Selma Naguib, co-founder of the Art First gallery and organizer of the exhibition, emphasized that this event highlights the work of Hassan Kouhen, “an important artist on the Moroccan art scene.” She explained that the works presented revisit “that raw gesture that precedes thought,” a gesture that allows the artist to express his emotions and experiences.

The predominance of black does not represent sadness in his work, she added, but rather a way of expressing his inner self, his past experiences, and “a kind of journey of the soul.”

Ms. Naguib also noted that the artist’s abstraction is never detached from the world. It arises from listening to the rhythm of life, from sensitive memory, and from intuitions that precede words, she continued.

Following an exhibition of the artist’s work in Rabat in recent weeks, the gallery wished to extend this presentation to the Casablanca public, she explained.

The exhibition marks the return to the Casablanca art scene of Hassan Kouhen, whose career has been divided between Morocco and North America.

Organized by Art First, a traveling gallery dedicated to showcasing the Moroccan and African art scene, this exhibition offers art lovers the opportunity to discover the work of a painter who has made gesture his primary language.