Yassine Essouaf, born in 1997 in Meknes Morocco . I obtained my baccalaureate in visual arts in 2015, then joined the National Institute of Fine Arts in Tetouan . My various formal and conceptual explorations within contemporary art allowed me to develop my personal work under the theme of "Absurd Sensations Facing the Mirror" in 2018. This initial approach marked the beginning of my current practice. My sources of inspiration stem from personal experiences in real-life situations or stories drawn from Babylonian, Assyrian mythology, and ancient Egyptian antiquity. I also draw inspiration from astrological sciences and the movements of astrology through the forms and trajectories of planets and stars. My graphic style draws from a chromatic expression, delving into a repertoire that oscillates between figurative and abstract. Through my palette of colors, I seek to convey the richness and diversity of human emotions. By varying and manipulating warm or cool color harmonies, I endeavor to reveal the interiority and sentimentality of human nature that I aim to express through my painting. My work engages a sensual approach: on one hand, by apprehending form as a concept, and on the other, through the manipulation of signs as symbols. My work consists of an attempt to perceive human interiority and unconsciousness beyond appearances, then revealing the formal and conceptual polysemies within. I aim to apprehend the world through a gaze liberated from prejudices, preconceptions, and determinisms, in order to reconnect with the spontaneity of childhood.

My journey in art began earnestly when I joined the National Institute of Fine Arts in Tetouan, where I first encountered the works of Albert Camus, along with the plays of Samuel Beckett and Anton Chekhov. These works sparked my passion for themes of futility, absurdity, and the search for meaning in life. After this stage, I traveled to the Moroccan desert in search of inspiration and to further develop my artistic practice. During this time, my drawing style underwent significant evolution, gaining clarity. Concurrently, I became deeply interested in esoteric knowledge, astrology, and mythology. I began exploring the mysterious and beautiful aspects of life, filled with secrets, which later became central to my drawings.
I drew inspiration from poets such as Mario Luzzi, Dante, Gibran Khalil Gibran, Rumi, the Comte de Lautréamont, and various Eastern writers, Hermetic poets, and Gnostics. This journey into the subconscious and mystical realms allowed me to explore the depths of the human soul, revealing the fears, desires, and mysteries hidden beneath the surface. This exploration is still in its early stages, but I feel as though I am writing the first lines of an inspiring and enigmatic story. Imagination, spiritual connection, and emotional depth distinguish this narrative.
In my work, I focus on the human experience and emotions as a universal theme, seeking to understand and uncover new sensations and reflections within the contemporary world. This exploration is conveyed through form, color, and events. My graphic style relies on black outlines, bright colors, and flowing, soft lines. The line serves as my primary means of expression, while the forms I create often evoke spontaneity or a childlike quality. I move from figuration to abstraction, using vibrant colors like red, yellow, gold, blue, and green, translating these into emotions and feelings. This results in a dynamic tension between light and darkness, aiming for harmony without conflict, while ensuring the balance and structure of the image.
I am also profoundly interested in occult and esoteric knowledge, which has shaped the themes and symbols in my work. I focus on two key elements: the first involves colors, shapes, and figures, while the second revolves around concepts such as events, historical narratives, or philosophical inquiries.
My goal is to create an imaginary world filled with wavy lines, embodying time, voices, and faces that blend the real with the imagined. The work is like a theater, inviting the viewer to project their own ideas and personality into the artwork. This approach aims to spark questions and unravel the meanings behind the lines, ensuring that the work transcends my personal experience and becomes a broader, shared world where the viewer’s spirit animates the scene.
Through elements like the body, expressions, faces, the sea, time, and imagined representations of God and Satan, I attempt to create a dialogue between Earth and Heaven, offering a unique window into the human psyche and spiritual exploration. My artworks are not just aesthetic pieces but living expressions of humanity’s constant quest for meaning in a complex world.
Experimental drawing is a journey, a spiritual philosophy born from intuition and direct knowledge of the divine. It is not bound by traditional practices like mathematical logic or physical simulations. In my research, I emphasize personal experience and intuition, along with historical, philosophical, and psychological exploration. I believe that the material world is imperfect and that the true nature of the universe can only be grasped through spiritual insight. There is a belief that a divine spark exists within every individual, which can be awakened through spiritual practices such as drawing, meditation, and life experience.
My drawing style is deeply linked to mystical themes, such as astrology, Kabbalah, ancient myths, and concepts like birth and death, humanity’s relationship with nature, sensuality, and darkness. It is a search for the mysterious, crafting scenarios and projecting them onto the material world, embarking on a symbolic journey in pursuit of light. This is an invitation to see shape and color through our souls, to weave meaning, create concepts, or simply meditate on form and color. It is a return to our first, childlike selves, full of wonder and enthusiasm for life.
I have been deeply influenced by the works of surrealist masters such as Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Max Ernst, Marc Chagall, Hilma af Klint, Gustav Klimt, Hieronymus Bosch, and Alex Gray. As such, I consider my art to be expressive surrealism a surrealism that tells the story of contemporary humanity, without ties to a specific identity, culture, place, or time. I aim for it to be a global cultural production. This journey is still in its early stages, but it feels like the beginning of an inspiring and mysterious story, where fantasy, spiritual connection, and emotional depth are central.