{"id":19509,"date":"2024-10-14T15:32:58","date_gmt":"2024-10-14T15:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/mehdi-qotbi-it-was-painting-and-colors-that-came-to-me-that-saved-me-and-that-shaped-the-course-of-my-life\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T14:01:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T14:01:46","slug":"mehdi-qotbi-it-was-painting-and-colors-that-came-to-me-that-saved-me-and-that-shaped-the-course-of-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/mehdi-qotbi-it-was-painting-and-colors-that-came-to-me-that-saved-me-and-that-shaped-the-course-of-my-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Mehdi Qotbi: “It was painting and colors that came to me, that saved me, and that shaped the course of my life.”"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Arab World Institute in Paris is hosting a retrospective on Mehdi Qotbi through January 5, 2025. Although he is known to the Moroccan public as president of the National Museum Foundation, it was painting that marked the beginning of his career. An interview. <\/b><\/p>\n\n

Interview by Olivier Rachet <\/b><\/p>\n\n

\"Portrait\n
Gerard Rancinan, Portrait of Mehdi Qotbi in His Apartment, 2024 \u00a9 Gerard Rancinan<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n


How did your calling as a painter come about? <\/b><\/p>\n\n

I would say that it was painting\u2014the colors that came to me\u2014that saved me and shaped the course of my life. It was this tiger that I painted in the Scout club at the military high school in Kenitra\u2014the club was called \u201cLes Tigres\u201d\u2014that contributed to my rebirth. We had been asked to set ourselves apart from the other clubs by decorating our clubhouse. At that moment, no one dared to pick up a paintbrush, and it was this desire to live\u2014to win the affection of others\u2014that drove me to take up the brush. I drew a tiger ready to pounce with surprising spontaneity, and from that day on, the way my classmates looked at me changed, and I began to truly exist. When politician Pierre B\u00e9r\u00e9govoy presented me with my first award in 1990, he humorously pointed out in his speech that I had not only talent but also nerve. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

How did you find the encouragement you needed to pursue your passion for painting?<\/b><\/p>\n\n

<\/b>In 1967, I wanted to become a journalism apprentice, even though I could barely read or write French at the time. I was heading to the newsroom of the <\/span>Petit Marocain<\/span><\/i> where the Count, the editor-in-chief, would often give me invitations to cultural events. I remember going to the French Cultural Center to visit an exhibition of lithographs by Schneider, a painter of lyrical abstraction. Among the people present, I noticed a very elegant man wearing a bow tie\u2014it was Jilali Gharbaoui. I introduced myself to him as a painter, and he suggested that I bring him my work\u2014even though I had hardly ever painted anything. I had spent the night creating my first works on paper. He invited me to lunch, at a time when I couldn\u2019t even afford to eat. He was accompanied by two lawyers\u2014his collectors\u2014whom he ordered to buy my works for 20 dirhams each. It was the first time I\u2019d ever had that much money. That allowed me to buy paper and paintbrushes so I could keep working. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

What were you painting back then? <\/b><\/p>\n\n

Above all, I was trying, rather clumsily, to reproduce works that spoke to me and that I loved. I found the third or fourth drawing I had made and given to Ms. Aziza Bennani (former Minister of Culture and Morocco\u2019s representative to UNESCO)\u2014paintings that she later returned to me and that are now on display at the IMA. In this work, we see figurative forms, but also early signs of my artistic development. These signs and words represent the desire I\u2019ve always had to communicate and reach out to others. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"6\"\n
Mehdi Qotbi, *Labyrinth of Life*, 4th work in the series, 1969, gouache on paper, 30 x 60 cm. Private collection <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n

You then studied at the School of Fine Arts in Rabat, and later went to France to study at the Schools of Fine Arts in Toulouse and Paris.<\/b><\/p>\n\n

I went to visit Mr. Alerini, who was the director of the School of Fine Arts in Rabat. I told him about my desire to paint despite my lack of financial means. That allowed me to meet several people in those studios, particularly art lovers. But the desire to leave Morocco was always there. My desire to go to Paris was understandable, since it was then the cultural capital\u2014a place where all the artists I admired had stayed or lived. The first city to welcome me was Toulouse. I loved that city and its people, who didn\u2019t ask me where I was from or about my social background, and who opened their doors and their hearts to me. That was a blessed time, a true rebirth. There, I learned to paint and mastered the basics of drawing. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Was it during this period that your artistic style began to take shape, along with your particular interest in words?<\/b><\/p>\n\n

I began writing after I earned my national degree in Fine Arts, with the support of my professor, Mr. Daniel Schintone, who gave me the money to travel to the exams, which were then being held in Bordeaux. He was like a father to me, a confidant who allowed me to develop my skills without pressure. It was then that the lettering on the storefronts in the Takkadoum neighborhood\u2014where I had spent my entire childhood\u2014caught my eye once again. When I went shopping for my mother, I would look at these inscriptions, which were often accompanied by drawings. From there, something extraordinary emerged: every shop blared music at full volume. It was a breath of fresh air every time I went shopping. I then realized, following my teacher\u2019s advice, that the strong connection to my roots could only be this Arabic script\u2014which I must also \u201cunwrite\u201d in order to be reborn anew. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"1\"\n
Mehdi Qotbi, *Scripturalit\u00e9*, 2019\u20132021, acrylic on canvas, painted with a brush, 60 x 60 cm, private collection<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n

Was it a matter of inventing or weaving your own language through painting, by incorporating this musical dimension you just mentioned?<\/b><\/p>\n\n

You\u2019ve summed up my entire creative journey in just a few words. Music, weaving, \u201cunwriting,\u201d and love\u2014these are indeed what define my work. There\u2019s this desire to break away from my origins, while also acknowledging my connection to Morocco. As for writing, I didn\u2019t want to do calligraphy. I\u2019m not a calligrapher, contrary to what is sometimes said about my work. In calligraphy, you respect the meaning of what you write. I start from the premise that my hands are guided by the beating of my heart\u2014by the passion and emotion I feel when listening to music, meeting someone, or reading a poem. That\u2019s how things are born and transformed. I wanted to rediscover my own voice. It reminds me of that visit by Dominique Bozo (art historian and former President of the Centre Pompidou, ed.) to my studio, when he told me that when you step back from my works, they resemble a form of abstract minimalism, but when you get closer, one often discovers a style behind which lie both culture and modernity. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Your painting has a poetic dimension that may explain the many collaborations you have also forged with renowned writers.<\/b><\/p>\n\n

The first meeting I was given the opportunity to have was with Michel Butor. I went to visit him in Nice, through a composer friend. He asked me to create a space in which he could engage in dialogue with me. I found myself faced with something fascinating that I had been searching for for years: the sayable and the unsayable. This unreadability that I brought to the table became legible through Butor\u2019s words, and later through those of Aim\u00e9 C\u00e9saire, L\u00e9opold S\u00e9dar Senghor, Nathalie Sarraute, \u00c9douard Glissant, Jacques Derrida, and V\u00e1clav Havel. These human encounters evolved into a shared understanding online or on paper, and then into deep friendships. I am grateful to God for giving me this exceptional opportunity to grow alongside these great figures who have left their mark on human history. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"11\"\n
Gabriel-Axel Soussan, Portraits of the artists Mehdi Qotbi, Andr\u00e9 Elbaz, and Farid Belkahia at the Cit\u00e9 internationale des arts, Paris, circa 1975 \u00a9 Gabriel-Axel Soussan<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n

C<\/span>Did these encounters lead to the publication of art books?<\/b><\/p>\n\n

Absolutely\u2014that\u2019s what I\u2019ve called \u201cwritten encounters.\u201d They\u2019ve given rise to moments of profound happiness. Sometimes I wonder what century I\u2019m living in when I realize I\u2019ve been lucky enough to rub shoulders with Aragon and to work with Yves Bonnefoy, whose influence was pivotal. We produced two books together. He introduced me to his artist friends\u2014Zao Wou-Ki, Antoni T\u00e0pies, and Cartier-Bresson. He was a man of extraordinary generosity toward me. I also remember another great poet, Andr\u00e9 Pierre de Mandiargues, who wrote a six-page poem that became a book published by Fata Morgana. I can still hear his words telling me: <\/span>\u201cYour work is like a field where you simply sow seeds that grow on their own. Just by looking at your work, my sentences and words flow freely to accompany them.\u201d When<\/span>you were in France teaching, on what occasions was your work exhibited?<\/i>Life was very different back then. Very few Arab artists were exhibited in France. On the advice of a major Parisian gallery and the critic Jean Clair, I had briefly established a connection with the Rodolphe Stadler Gallery on Rue de Seine in Paris. It was one of the few galleries to exhibit written works. In the 1970s, the Iranian painter Charles Hossein Zenderoudi was exhibited there. Rodolphe Stadler advised me to meet the Lettrists. They were completely out of this world at the time; I found their discourse surprising. I should mention that during my first years in Paris, after studying at the Beaux-Arts in Toulouse, I didn\u2019t paint because I felt my work lacked maturity. Then, I received offers to exhibit at art fairs. In 1981, I went to see Tessa Herold\u2019s Galerie de Seine\u2014I knew her\u2014and proposed organizing an exhibition on writing. Bernard Quentin and Jean-Clarence Lambert helped me bring this project to life. I had already exhibited in several galleries and art fairs in Toulouse. Another exhibition was very important to me. It was in 1984, after the Left came to power and Jack Lang took office; it was called \u201cLa rime et la raison.\u201d It showcased works from the collections of Madame Dominique de M\u00e9nil at the Grand Palais. On that occasion, I met the renowned art dealer Alexandre Yolas, who introduced me to Madame de M\u00e9nil. She visited me in my studio and purchased several of my works: gouaches and works on paper. She also introduced me to her sister, Sylvie Boissonnas, one of the major donors to the Centre Pompidou, who organized a major exhibition for me at the Flaine Art Center. She later invited me to the opening of her museum in Houston, where I met the most prominent architects, artists, and art dealers of the time. There you have it\u2014life really is beautiful! I\u2019m so happy to share this story with you. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"5\"\n
Mehdi Qotbi, Written Encounter with Andr\u00e9e Chedid, a Franco-Syrian-Lebanese writer (1920\u20132011), 1989, gouache and ink on paper, 65 x 50 cm. Private collection <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n

What connection do you still have to painting today, given that you\u2019re also the president of the FNM?<\/b><\/p>\n\n

Painting remains my daily source of life. With our team at the FNM, if we succeed in our mission, it\u2019s thanks to this shared passion. Painting has made me who I am today. These colors and these forms flow through my veins, my blood, and my heart. I\u2019ve found a way to find inner balance so I can continue to serve and work. I\u2019m dedicated to a cause I\u2019m passionate about. I still have that passion for sharing. You can\u2019t move forward if you don\u2019t have a passion for success. If we\u2019ve been able to exhibit Picasso, Matisse, and the Impressionists today, it\u2019s also because my reputation as a serious artist lends me credibility with the people I collaborate with on all the exhibitions still to come. Art will never leave me. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Mehdi Qotbi Retrospective, Arab World Institute, Paris, October 15, 2024, through January 5, 2025.<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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