Invited among international talents at the Dakar Biennale, a major event on the artistic scene, Hicham Lahlou, a leading figure in Moroccan design and one of the standard bearers of design in Africa and its diaspora, speaks as part of the participation in an exhibition dedicated to Design as part of the official “IN” Program.
Hicham Lahlou, who takes part in this event intended to promote African design, alongside other Moroccan artists, presents two new works: the Zaha teapot, a tribute to the late architect Zaha Hadid, and Emerald, a new creation specially designed for the event, combining luxury leather goods and high-quality brass, halfway between sculpture, architecture and design, made by master craftsmen in Fez.
In a statement to MAP, Mr. Hicham Lahlou emphasizes that these works express the attachment to Moroccan cultural heritage and the designer’s ability to push the limits of creation.
The exhibited works are a contribution to showcasing African design on the world stage alongside international talents such as Cheick Diallo, Bibi Seck Fatimata Ly or Jean Servais Somian, he added, noting that the collective exhibition “IN » is an opportunity to discover the diversity of the continent’s artistic expressions and to celebrate the richness of its heritage.
This return to Dakar marks an important step in the career of Hicham Lahlou, who is preparing to celebrate his 30 years of creation in 2025. Internationally recognized for his work, the Moroccan designer is a fervent defender of the values of Moroccan craftsmanship and innovation. Several of his creations are part of the permanent collections of museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
The Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Art is the largest and oldest major event on the African continent, also the oldest African Biennale of contemporary artistic creation and the first event that began to promote African design.
Nearly 3,000 artists have been invited and nearly 400,000 visitors are expected at this event, which runs until December 7, to discover the best of African and diaspora art through hundreds of cultural events in the “IN” and the “Off” combining painting, sculpture, design, sound and musical installations, performances and also debates.
A total of 58 artists from Africa and the diaspora, including Morocco, were selected for the International Exhibition, hosted by the former Palace of Justice in the Senegalese capital.
Under the artistic direction of Salimata Diop, art critic and exhibition curator, the Dakar Biennale, created in 1992 and placed this year under the theme “The wake, L’éveil, le sillage, Xall wi”, highlights honor the United States and Cape Verde.
The event was opened Thursday by the Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who paid a vibrant tribute to “the late artists who left their indelible mark on the organization of the Biennale of Contemporary African Art”.
On this occasion, Bassirou Faye presented the Grand Prix Léopold Sédar Senghor to Martinican graphic designer Agnès Brézéphin.
