Throughout history, crafts have played a central role in Morocco. Including everything from tile decoration, or zellij, to leather tanning, as well as cabinetmaking, ceramics, embroidery and carpet weaving, handcrafted works form an integral part of everyday life in the country. Many specialized workshops remain active even today, perpetuating age-old knowledge by producing items which are both aesthetically pleasing and useful.

Wishing to convey the importance of documenting, safeguarding and spreading knowledge about artisanal activities inside the country, La Maison de l’Artisan has assisted many of these workshops and individuals on their journey. This agency within the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, Crafts and Solidarity Economy was founded in 1957 with the goal of perpetuating the country’s knowledge about crafts, a task which it performs by supporting artisan communities in training individuals, as well as in producing and marketing their products. In response to the challenges of our times, the institution has also encouraged avant-garde proposals by designers and artists inspired by age-old craftsmanship, understanding that this is also a way to ensure its continuity.

Conceived by La Maison de l’Artisan, with the cooperation of Casa Arabe and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Spain, the exhibition Hand over Hand: Crafts and design in Morocco brings together historical objects from private collections, works of contemporary craftsmanship, and ultimately, art and design projects inspired by the forms and materials used in artisanal creation.

From a set of antique taajira embroideries, the leatherwork by Failiha Ameur Haddad, the damascene pieces by Hicham Essaidi and the ceramics by Poterie Serghini, along with the cutting-edge furnishings by Mouna Fassi and Younes Duret, the jewelry lines by Yelli and Dihyan, the caftans made by Amina Benmoussa and Fadila El Gadi, as well as the textile installation by Soumiya Jalal, Hand over Hand provides a broad overview of today’s crafts landscape in Morocco.