The creatives to know about in Marrakech

In Marrakech, a forward-thinking crowd is championing the survival of Morocco's traditional crafts while giving them a global platform

LAURENCE LEENAERT 

Belgian-born artist Leenaert is well established in the contemporary Moroccan design vernacular through Lrnce, which turns out ceramics decorated in bold, fluid geometric patterns spotted at cult hotels from Menorca Experimental to Parilio on Paros in Greece. But with a new set of paintings, she is looking to another discipline.

Her space in Sidi Ghanem, which opened at the start of 2020, spreads across two floors and a rooftop that serves as a studio, showroom and events hub, where clients can come by appointment to view works such as her Sound of Sun series – an interpretation of life in the city. ‘My framed pieces begin as sketches for rugs and blankets,’ she says. ‘I’m always drawing lines or cutting things out or incorporating elements based on what I see around me.’

For her latest range of ceramics, she partnered with master craftsmen from Safi who are known for their pottery. The addition of textural grooves meant they took three times as long to produce as her handpainted line, but the approach lends a sculptural element to each object that makes them as worthy of the term art as any of her other creations. lrnce.com