Moroccan artist Abdelfettah Karmane was awarded the Mondial Art Academy Prize for his watercolor painting Nature morte aux citrons (Dead nature with lemons). The award reflects his talent in expressing objects in a figurative way. The Rabat born artist uses pictorial and other techniques in his oil, watercolor, and acrylic paintings. His still life pieces include objects like traditional carpets, porcelain, zelliges, feminine jewels, prickly pears, watermelons, and lemons.
“I am inspired by the ancestral heritage of Morocco for the creation of my paintings,” he said. The artist has also been quoted saying that in his paintings he “strives to achieve a balance” between stylistic constraints and realism. In addition to realism, his works fall into the categories of surrealism and hyperrealist.
This is the third year that Karmane has won the Mundial Art prize. The first time was in 2016 for his figurative painting Nature morte aux drapés et objets traditionnels (Dead nature with drapes and traditional objects). These works have been shown at the Lawrence-Arnott art gallery in Marrakech.
Abdelfettah Karmane was born in Sidi Slimane in 1969. His childhood was filled with memories of him painting and drawing. At age fourteen, he exhibited his works in Sidi Slimane, a small city inside the Rabat region. Karmane’s upbringing was inspired by the towns strong agricultural economy. He is a graduate of the School of Plastics in Rabat.