AMSTERDAM.- Foam is presenting Blessings from Mousganistan, an exhibition by self-taught photographer Mous Lamrabat (Morocco, 1983). Beauty and a sense of hope are central to Lamrabat’s work. His photographs are playful and surrealistic, every so often subtly provocative, but always vibrant and fun. His work is exhilarating and at times a confronting fusion of his diasporic life, using beauty and humour to create powerful new narratives related to sensitive issues like racism and religion. In Blessings from Mousganistan, the artist shares a message of love through a colourful and eclectic visual experience.

Blessings from Mousganistan

The world of Mous Lamrabat is a place where life is at peace and people are loved, no matter where you are from or where you are going. This is the experience the artist wants to bring across in the exhibition Blessings from Mousganistan: you step into the fascinating utopia the artist has created within the museum walls of Foam. He asks and sometimes pushes the viewer to look differently at the images in front of them; he has superimposed his photographs in large lenticular prints or vacuum-pulled portraits around a Nike logo and the McDonalds “M” the artist incorporated into his work. By changing the shapes of well-known symbols and images, Lamrabat deconstructs the notion of “normal”. What first consisted of familiar colours and forms has now been altered and redefined into a different meaning defined by the artist. In his exhibition, Lamrabat also provides a chance for a more intimate interaction to see the works up close which serves as an introduction to the final part of the exhibition where universal prayer flags grace the space. The installation is a response to the ongoing stream of refugees from all parts of the world. It is a reminder from the artist to take care of one another and more importantly, to care of everyone indiscriminately of their skin colour or origins.

Mous Lamrabat was born in Northern Morocco and grew up in Flanders, Belgium. He is an autodidact photographer who graduated with a degree in Interior Design from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. His work has been published internationally in magazines such as Vogue, Esquire, Stylist Magazine, among many others. In 2020 Mous was part of the group exhibition Just Pictures, curated by Antwaun Sargent at projects+gallery, St. Louis (Missouri) and in 2021 he had a solo exhibition at the photography museum FOMU in Antwerp. Mous Lamrabat is represented by Loft Art Gallery in Casablanca, Morocco.