Inspired by the textiles, weaving traditions and handicrafts of indigenous cultures, British artist Luke Gray has created a collection of artworks entitled Visions of the Sand, completed during his artist residency at Dar Slimane near Marrakech and now on display at Café Clock Marrakech. The 19-piece collection includes ink paintings and various works on paper inspired by Berber culture, Arabic calligraphy, and the craftsmanship in Morocco.
Having travelled to Morocco several times in the past, when asked what inspires him most about the kingdom, he responded with “I love the sense of spontaneity here. When I was living on the coast in Essaouira, the locals would start playing the drums out of nowhere and burst into song and I think that been lost in the Western world. I’m also inspired by the traditional patterns, mosaic floors and ceiling tiles of the mosques, they just blow me away. I saw carpenters making wooden panels for the mosques the other day, and the way they measure everything, they cut it like a laser and are not even one millimetre over the plan of the pattern. I really appreciate their dedication to the detail.“
Visions of the Sand is on display at Cafe Clock until February 2018.
See more artworks on Luke’s Instagram.
