Ahmed ben Driss el Yacoubi

Acquired directly from the artist

Thence by direct descent

Born in Morocco and educated as a traditional healer, Ahmed Ben Driss El Yacoubi draws on his own spiritual life experiences in his artistic practice. The artist’s oeuvre is highlighted by his use of enigmatic and abstract compositions. Yacoubi was fortunate enough to meet Francis Bacon in 1950s Tangier, after it was made an international zone and popular site for Western artists. Yacoubi is one of the only artists who Bacon chose to mentor in painting. Consequentially, Bacon adopted a genuine affection for Yacoubi and his art. It is during this time while teaching Yacoubi his technique of oil painting, that Bacon gave Yacoubi old canvases with his own discarded paintings to practice oil painting on the verso of the canvases. Back in London, Bacon organised an exhibition for Yacoubi at the Hanover Gallery in 1957 and his work was critically praised.

This artwork exemplifies Yacoubi's artistic prowess. Untitled, a strikingly abstract composition, captivates the viewer with its illusionary interplay between the imagined realms of what appears to be earth and sky. Yacoubi's mastery of oil paints is evident as one witnesses the effortless blend of pale blue and pink and peach. The artist's adeptness with oils is delicately demonstrated in the tactile layering of colors and the creation of geometric patterns through the skilled use of a palette knife. Subtle lines crafted by Yacoubi's palette knife deceive the eye with an illusion of depth. Yacoubi's works continue to be held in esteemed art institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah.