Thick, nervous strokes and Caravaggio-dark shadows
Rachid Talbi sculpts paint on canvas, piling material until shapes blur and merge. He favors synthesis over detail, using allusion and metaphor, and his strokes feel nervous and full bodied. Light in some works recalls orientalist and impressionist atmospheres, while his strong chiaroscuro nods to Caravaggio.
Rachid Talbi at a glance
- Born: October 29, 1967, Morocco
- Based in: Oran, Algeria
- Known for: Bright, richly textured scenes of everyday life
- Medium: Oil, watercolor, acrylic and pastel
- Style: Realism and impressionism
- Education: Microbiology, University of Es-Senia, 1992. Self-taught as a painter.
- Gallery: Dar El Kenz, Algiers
Born October 29, 1967 in Kasbat-Tadla, Beni Mellal, Morocco, Talbi lives in Oran, Algeria and trained in microbiology at the University of Es-Senia, graduating in 1992. Self taught as a painter, he turned professional after university and became a permanent artist at Dar El Kenz gallery in Algiers in the 2000s.
He works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, charcoal and pencil, producing bright scenes of everyday life, portraits, fantasias, seascapes and still lifes inspired by Oran and Morocco. His works are held by embassies and public institutions, he received royal recognition in 2009, and he teaches and runs workshops for younger artists.
