Painting canvases when you have a disability called “Down syndrome” is undoubtedly an achievement, but also and above all a call, illustrated by Aya’s magic fingers, to everyone to trust and believe in the abilities of this category of society.
At the Kasbah-Mechouar nursery and kindergarten, Aya’s seventeen works, painted in acrylic on canvas, allow us to see and appreciate a kaleidoscopic tangle of colors and shapes, which certainly refers to the joy of living in Marrakech, the good humor and the excitement that mark this thousand-year-old city.
The exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in a meditative universe and to explore the Ochre City in depth, through canvases painted using brushes of different sizes, scrapers or even those made by hand.
Enrolled in the senior kindergarten class in Rabat, Aya, who expresses a deep attachment to the world of colors, had already exhibited her paintings at the art gallery “Espace Expressions CDG” as part of the exhibition “Lilkonouzi Sada”, and at the Villa des arts in Rabat.
“Aya showed her passion for painting at the very early age of four and a half,” Noura El Fadili, Aya’s mother, told MAP. She did not fail to thank the visual artist Karima Faouzi, to whom she owes with such gratitude the discovery of Aya’s extraordinary passion for the paintbrush.
“I take this opportunity to encourage parents of children with Down syndrome to redouble their support and encouragement so that their children can develop their skills and exhibit their hidden talents,” says Ms. El Fadili.
The role of the family in supporting children with special needs is so important, she insists, noting in this sense that Aya’s two brothers, namely, Omar (psychology student) and Ali (high school student), spend a lot of time with their sister sharing with her moments of joy, play, dialogue and conviviality.
A person with Down syndrome cannot be reduced to their disability, she continued, adding that the exhibition “Marrakech au pinceau de Aya”, which continues until May 28, aims to raise awareness of diversity and artistic expression of people from all backgrounds, while encouraging the acceptance and appreciation of difference within the artistic community and beyond.
It is in this perspective that the director of the Kasbah-Mechouar nursery and kindergarten, Aicha Chafiai, stressed that this public establishment opens its arms wide to Aya to express her difference, thanks to the magic and power of artistic expression.
Arts education is of crucial importance in the development of a child’s personality, explained Ms. Chafiai, noting that this exhibition should inspire other children benefiting from this preschool establishment under the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication (Youth Department).
Beyond its artistic aspect, this exhibition has an educational dimension intended to stimulate skills and awaken creativity in the children of the establishment, she said.
The opening of “Marrakech au pinceau de Aya”, marked by the presence in particular of the regional director of the Youth Department of the Marrakech-Safi region, saw the organization of entertainment games and painting workshops for the benefit of children from the Kasbah-Mechouar nursery and kindergarten.
2024-09-17 05:34:21