M’barek Bouhchichi was born in 1975 in Akka, Morocco. He holds a baccalaureate in fine arts and has been teaching art since the mid-1990s, first in Tiznit and now in Tahannaout.
His artistic practice explores the representation and perception of the Black body in Moroccan society. The body becomes a central motif with multiple ramifications: molded, sculpted, drawn, painted, it unfolds in a kaleidoscope of signs, quasi-votive fragments, and images. Hands, faces, imprints, heads—these elements act as metaphors, as doubles, or even stand-ins for invisible bodies in search of unity. This fragmentation points to a broader disjunction, that of gaze and perception, calling on the viewer to reassemble—or lose themselves within—the symbolic and imaginary dimensions of the fractured body.
This work on the body thus opens onto a social and political reflection, in which notions of identity, corporeality, difference, and alterity are explored. Among the questions that have guided Bouhchichi’s recent investigations are: how has the representation of the Black body in the visual and plastic arts, literature, poetry, and music been shaped by approaches rooted in race, sexuality, and the dynamics of the gaze?
M’barek Bouhchichi’s work has recently been presented in numerous renowned biennials and international institutions, including the Sharjah Biennial 16 (United Arab Emirates), SAMoCA (Saudi Arabia), The Sharjah Art Foundation (UAE), the São Paulo Biennial (Brazil), Dak'Art – Biennale of Contemporary African Art (Senegal), Savvy Contemporary (Berlin), MUCEM (Marseille), and the Palacio Cadaval (Évora, Portugal).
His work was also highlighted in the book African Art Now by Osei Bonsu, published by Tate Publishing and Ilex.
The works of M’barek Bouhchichi have become part of prestigious collections, including, among others, the National Museum of Modern Art at the Centre Georges Pompidou (France), the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Morocco), the Helga de Alvear Contemporary Art Museum (Spain), the CALOSA Foundation (Mexico), the Sharjah Art Foundation (UAE), the American Friends of the Arts in North Africa Foundation (United States), the Al Maaden Museum of Contemporary African Art (Morocco), the H Foundation (Madagascar), and the CDG Foundation (Morocco).
M’barek Bouhchichi lives and works in Tahannaout, Morocco.