Hazdaï was born in Safi, Morocco; however, it is in Mazagan (El Jadida), picturesque town that attracts painters, that in 1950 he exhibits his first works. In 1953, he enrolls in various painting and drawing academies in Paris. Back in Morocco he paints insatiably, always questioning his creations. In 1958 he participates in the “Première exposition de la jeune peinture marocaine” where the Arts and Folklore service of Morocco acquires one of his works. From that point on he is seen at all the exhibits: Salon d’hiver de Marrakech, Salon d’automne de Casablanca, Exposition marocaine à Alexandrie, to name a few.

 

In April 1964 he shows the majority of his collection at the Musée National de Bab Rouah in Rabah. Adlaï Stevenson acquires one of the works, “Fantasia”, while on official visit to Morocco. The following month, he exhibits in Casablanca. That same year he participates, with other artists that have just formed the first “Association of Moroccan painters”, in an art show at the Galerie Charpentier in Paris, at the third “Biennale de Paris” and at the “Rencontre internationale des Arts plastiques” in Rabat. The following year he once again exhibits at the Bab Rouah museum where one of the pieces, “Garde noire”, is acquired by the Ministry of culture for the royal palace. The French cultural mission offers him the venue of the cultural center and sponsors his last exhibit in Morocco.

 

His emigration to Canada in 1965 interrupts his Moroccan career. After his arrival in Montreal he becomes member of the “Jeunes amis du musée de Montréal (JAMM)” and shows two works from his Moroccan period. He enrolls at Sir George Williams University in Roy Kiyoka’s course. Concurrently with a teaching career he continues to participate in collective shows. In parallel to painting, he pursues a sculpting career. Invited to the “15th Grand Concours du Cercle des Peintres et Sculpteurs du Québec”, he is awarded a “Grande Distinction toutes catégories” at the 5e Gala International des Arts Visuels 1998 for one his exhibited work. In 1999, he submitted a sculpture and a drawing to be exhibited at the Art Club of Montréal. That same year he participated in the annual Women Art Society at the Klinkhoff Gallery where his “TORSO” was awarded an “Honorable mention”.

 

ARTISTIC PATH

 

None better explained his artistic path than Gaston Diehl, art critic and cultural attaché of the French cultural mission in Morocco. In the preface of his first exhibit in Rabat he writes:

 

“In a particularly opinionated and lucid effort, we see him in effect, drawing from a few happy accidents, ably researched to have surge from these bluish limbs that are native to him, a world in gestation, still diluted and phantom-like at the boundary between suggestion and knowledge. Far from all parading, from all useless effort, he pursues this slow penetration into the heart of a sensitive and human universe, teaching us to decipher infinite mysteries”. (Preface to the catalogue of the first one man show, March 1963)

 

HAZDAÏ paintings are found in private collections in Morocco, France, England, Israel, USA and Canada.