Dans l’atelier d’Abdelkader Benchamma, cartographe des mondes invisibles
French-Moroccan artist Abdelkader Benchamma is preparing for his upcoming solo exhibition, "Signs and Wonders," at Galerie Templon in Paris. Working from his sun-drenched studio in Montpellier, Benchamma has transitioned from his signature black-and-white ink drawings to large-scale canvases that incorporate celestial blues and earthy mineral tones. The new body of work draws inspiration from 15th and 16th-century manuscripts, specifically the Kitab al-Bulhan and the Book of Miracles, creating a "giant book" of visual narratives that blur the lines between abstraction and figuration.
Benchamma’s practice is significant for its exploration of pareidolia—the psychological phenomenon of perceiving meaningful images in random patterns—to challenge the viewer's perception of reality. By expanding his meticulous draftsmanship into immersive, large-format paintings, he seeks to restore a sense of mystery to the cosmos. This exhibition marks a pivotal evolution in his career, moving away from the rigid boundaries of paper toward expansive, atmospheric environments that function as mental landscapes.