short story writer
Chedine Tazi
Chedine is a self-taught artist based in Marrakech who uses mixed media to explore the tension between serene and turbulent mental states. Born in Rabat in 1995, she moved to Montreal at 16 to study international development and philosophy, later earning a master’s degree in conflict studies in London. During her five years working as a conflict researcher in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Chedine began using art to navigate themes related to anxiety and war.
Her fascination with the underwater world serves as a recurring motif, with ominous and ethereal depictions of jellyfish embodying the u^pmnpredictable turbulence of the human psyche.
Chedine is also a short story writer and was among the winners of the 37th Prix du Jeune Écrivain.
In 2023, she moved to Marrakech to focus on art and writing, while continuing her work as a conflict analyst for non-profit organizations.
"Koulchi ki Swaypi"
Art installation
Swipes, matches, Superlikes... Koulchi ki Swaypi is an art installation featuring 32 hand-painted phones that delve into Morocco's online dating ecosystem. At the intersection of writing and visual art, the watercolor-painted profiles and conversations capture how Moroccan men and women navigate, reflect, and challenge prevailing gender roles in the online dating world. Using humor and irony, the installation illustrates that while dating apps offer a liberating alternative to the restrictive public space, they remain a mirror of the social contradictions, economic tensions, and identity struggles shaping gender relations in Morocco.The phone-sized watercolor hand-paintings, reminiscent of medieval miniatures and comic strips, offer an artisanal touch that contrasts with the impersonal sleekness of digital screens. Playing with fishing metaphors used in Darija to refer to flirting (l'Siada), the phones are hooked in a fishing net, like baits waiting to catch and be caught. To stand out in the sea of available options, the dating app profiles reveal fragments of their users' identities while omitting their less alluring sides. Yet jellyfish, also caught in the net and present in each profile, loom as a reminder of the twisted thoughts, dark desires, and insecurities that people strive to hide in their online personas.
