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Hossein Tallal
- Born : 1942 in Casablanca
Hossein Tallal (Casablanca, 1942 – 2022) was a major figure in contemporary Moroccan painting. The only son of the celebrated artist Chaïbia Tallal, he lived and worked mainly in Casablanca while pursuing an internationally oriented career.
His artistic journey began in the 1950s. After studying ironwork in Casablanca, he moved to Paris in the early 1960s, immersing himself in the city’s vibrant art scene and befriending key figures such as Ahmed Cherkaoui. In 1965, he won the Grand Prize at the Marrakech Winter Salon, and in 1967, he held his first solo exhibition at La Roue Gallery in Paris. From then on, he exhibited widely in Morocco and abroad – in Spain, Denmark, France, the United States, Egypt, and more.
His style is marked by vibrant outlines, nuanced color harmonies (blues, pinks, yellows, greens), and an atmosphere of melancholic resignation – often compared to the world of Francis Bacon. Art writer Maurice Arama described his characters as “figures decoded with humor and derision, bathed in […] harmonies that the brush torments freely.”
While preserving his own artistic identity, Tallal also devoted himself to supporting and safeguarding his mother’s career, without ever borrowing from her visual vocabulary. His work, independent and deeply humanistic, questions the human comedy, vanity, and appearances, bringing to life “imaginary portraits” that straddle reality and dream.
His works are held in prestigious collections such as ONA Foundation, Attijariwafa Bank, Société Générale Morocco, MACAAL, Akwa Group, Groupe Alliances, and Maroc Telecom.
Hossein Tallal
- Born : 1942 in Casablanca
Hossein Tallal (Casablanca, 1942 – 2022) was a major figure in contemporary Moroccan painting. The only son of the celebrated artist Chaïbia Tallal, he lived and worked mainly in Casablanca while pursuing an internationally oriented career.
His artistic journey began in the 1950s. After studying ironwork in Casablanca, he moved to Paris in the early 1960s, immersing himself in the city’s vibrant art scene and befriending key figures such as Ahmed Cherkaoui. In 1965, he won the Grand Prize at the Marrakech Winter Salon, and in 1967, he held his first solo exhibition at La Roue Gallery in Paris. From then on, he exhibited widely in Morocco and abroad – in Spain, Denmark, France, the United States, Egypt, and more.
His style is marked by vibrant outlines, nuanced color harmonies (blues, pinks, yellows, greens), and an atmosphere of melancholic resignation – often compared to the world of Francis Bacon. Art writer Maurice Arama described his characters as “figures decoded with humor and derision, bathed in […] harmonies that the brush torments freely.”
While preserving his own artistic identity, Tallal also devoted himself to supporting and safeguarding his mother’s career, without ever borrowing from her visual vocabulary. His work, independent and deeply humanistic, questions the human comedy, vanity, and appearances, bringing to life “imaginary portraits” that straddle reality and dream.
His works are held in prestigious collections such as ONA Foundation, Attijariwafa Bank, Société Générale Morocco, MACAAL, Akwa Group, Groupe Alliances, and Maroc Telecom.
