Sarah Tricha: “In Islamic tradition, only God can create”

April 18th, 2008 by Menachem Wecker

Sarah Tricha blogs at Moroccan Design in “celebration of Moroccan culture and design.” She is a freelance web designer, and she is planning a book on “the origins and meanings of zillij.” Sarah spoke with Iconia about the Islamic components of Moroccan art.

MW: Let’s start with the question to what extent does Moroccan art overlap with Islamic art? Is much of it created by artists who see themselves as bound by Islamic law?

ST: First, Islam is central to all aspects of life in Morocco as well as Moroccan art and design. Traditional Moroccan art strictly follows Islamic guidelines that art should be non-representational. Some modern Moroccan artists have broken with that tradition, so know that what I write I am writing in reference to traditional Moroccan art/decor/ornamentation.

In generalizing about Moroccan artisans, I must specify that I am particularly speaking of pottery and tile artisans. There is a lot of folk wisdom and myth connected to producing pottery in Morocco. It is very much a part of their cultural and religious identity. This is elegantly highlighted in an interview with an artisan that was posted to YouTube, which you can watch on my website.

The traditional arts and crafts techniques and styles practiced in Morocco today are a result of Islam and the Islamic empire. The Arabs from Syria brought Islam to Morocco in the 7th century. Islam rapidly grew into a vast empire that united merchants from India and China all the way to Southern Spain. A lot of the worlds best artisanal practices, techniques, artists, and products made their way to Morocco through this vast network of merchants, pilgrims, nomads, and representatives of Islam.

Moroccan artisans in Fes, the cultural capital of Morocco, tightly guard the tradition of pottery making and only modify techniques when absolutely necessary. In the 1940s cooperatives were established to preserve the character and integrity of Moroccan crafts yet most potters continued to practice according to their own tradition.

Image: One of Sarah’s paintings, which you can see (and buy) on her site.

MW: What is zillij? What are some of the major institutions devoted to showing Moroccan art? Who are some of the folks writing on the topic?

ST: Zillij is one of the highest art forms in Morocco and it is a style that is uniquely practiced in Morocco. It involves cutting clay tiles into geometric pieces - each piece has a name - and assembling them into complex geometric patterns that have been learned through apprenticeships for centuries. The zillij mosaics have been of great interest to mathematicians because of their geometric complexity and artists, such as Matisse and Escher.

Zillij is used on floors, walls, and water fountains. It is generally applied to the interior of buildings such as mosques, formal living rooms, and other garden fountains. I wrote a bit about it at here. There is also an article about it here, which includes some interview with artisans. Zillij is meant to inspire meditative reflection on the perfection of God’s creation and the unity of all things. It is a highly valued art form, so even if the artists don’t make a lot of money on their craft, it is very expensive to do, they are respected in the community.

Moroccan art is very much tied to purpose. Zillij installations are part of larger structures that cannot be easily displayed in a museum. I don’t know of any major institution in the U.S. that is dedicated to showing Moroccan art. Moroccan design is covered in glossy picture books on interior design, but I don’t know of anyone who is writing about its underlying meaning. Keith Critchlow was a professor at the Royal College of Art and established the Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts (VITA) school in 1984. He wrote several books on Islamic patterns and the underlying geometry. His books included a lot of information on Moroccan patterns, but were not specifically about Morocco. I believe he is now retired.

MW: How did you first became interested in this field?

ST: I became interested in Moroccan art when I first went to Morocco in 1996. My husband is from Morocco originally, which is how I was introduced to the country. Zillij strikes me as a perfect art form. Certainly, this is a matter of taste, but it has resonated with me for years and I study and research it to understand why and, hopefully, to aid in its preservation and appreciation.

Follow-up questions:

MW: You mentioned, “Traditional Moroccan art strictly follows Islamic guidelines that art should be non-representational.” Does that mean representing anything or only people? Why are there some types of Islamic art (like many Persian miniatures) that do depict figures, even the Prophet? Is this the main reason why the Danish cartoons were so controversial, or was it more than just representation, i.e. how derogatory they were?

ST: This answer is a quote from The World of Islam, edited by Bernard Lewis, page 62:

A limited range of figural [depictions were] produced because pre-Islamic pictorial tradtions were still intermittently active. One of them was the classical heritage, both the lively Hellenistic genre and the severely stylized form of Byzantine tradition; another the arts of Sasanid Iran…also those of Central Asia and India … The second factor … arose from the subject matter to be illustrated. Scientific texts are greatly helped by miniatures.

MW: “Moroccan artisans in Fes, the cultural capital of Morocco, tightly guard the tradition of pottery making and only modify techniques when absolutely necessary.” Are there other ways the works have evolved if not in technique? Are there different materials used for colors? Are there different sorts of patterns?

ST: This answer could be a book in itself. The short answer is that techniques have evolved to incorporate modern colors and even styles geared towards tourists. Traditional Fasi pottery usually remains blue and white, uses the same type of clay and general production techniques.

MW: Is creating zillij a religious act in itself, or is the religious act in contemplating it? Is there a religious obligation of any sort to create? Why is there not much of a market for it?

ST: Creation is an act of connecting to community, to past, present, and future, to heritage. I can’t say it is religious. In Islamic tradition, only God can create. I interpret it as a celebration of one’s connection to creative power, being God. But that is a very personal feeling and not one I can generalize on behalf of all artisans in Morocco.

As for markets, Europe has been importing Moroccan artisanal crafts. Morocco would like to export more crafts to other markets, but faces challenges in production and business techniques. It is hard to establish production efficiencies in an culture as old as Morocco. There is a desire for economic progress, but not a desire to change tradition. That said, the Moroccan government recently founded a ministry to promote handicrafts and seeks to aid the artisan sector with standards, training and marketing, and legal supports. (See here.)

MW: Do you think there would be an interested public if a museum did piece together a show on Moroccan art? Do you foresee attention to documenting this work online in virtual museums?

ST: I can’t say. I am certainly interested in Moroccan art. But, writing about or showing Moroccan art is very difficult as it is so intertwined with aspects of the culture. I hope that Moroccan artisans get more attention for the work they do and the traditions they have kept alive.

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