Abdelghani Didouh, known as Ben Ali, is a Moroccan self-taught painter born in 1966 in the coastal city of Essaouira. Before becoming an artist, he worked for many years as a fisherman, living closely with the sea that would later deeply influence his artistic universe. A tragic maritime accident, in which he lost relatives and fellow fishermen, marked a turning point in his life and led him to turn to painting as a means of expression, healing, and survival.

Ben Ali developed his art instinctively, without academic training. He paints on canvas, wood, doors, and found objects, transforming them into powerful visual narratives. His style is raw and expressive, populated by human figures, animals, and hybrid creatures that seem to float between dream and memory.

His work reflects themes of loss, spirituality, memory, and the invisible forces of life. Often associated with outsider or singular art, Ben Ali’s paintings carry a strong emotional charge and a deeply personal symbolism rooted in his past as a fisherman. Over the years, his work has gained recognition in Morocco and abroad through exhibitions and private collections, making him one of the most distinctive contemporary artists from Essaouira.