“ATAY,” a New Art Exhibition by the Artist KEYA at Four Seasons Resort Marrakech

Starting March 17, 2023, the new works of artist KEYA will be the subject of a major exhibition at Four Seasons Resort Marrakech. This exhibition entitled ATAY is an invitation to discover the history of tea in Morocco.

"The first encounter that a foreigner will have with Morocco is tea. It is drunk all day long. To quench one's thirst in the afternoon, to conclude a market or to finish a meal, it is always the moment to enjoy a glass of tea or to offer it as a token of kindness and friendship. Mint tea is part of the Moroccan cultural heritage. But in Morocco we don't grow tea, so how did the ‘Chinese pearls’ get so deeply into the Moroccan culture? " says KEYA.

It is through this questioning that the artist is interested in the history of tea, from its origins in China to its spread in the rest of the world and in Morocco in particular.  In collaboration with the historical Wright House, the artist KEYA immersed himself in this fascinating, flamboyant and delicious world of Moroccan tea.

KEYA, Artist in Search of Words, Gestures and Colours

Born in Bourgoin-Jallieu (Isère/France) in 1974 to parents from both sides of the Mediterranean, KEYA was attracted from an early age by old objects, old patinas, the wear and tear of time. In 1992, during his military service, he left for the Balkans as a deminer, a dark but decisive experience that marked a turning point in his life, and a deep desire for colour.

From 1997 to 2000, he developed a technique that would become his trademark. It consists in reducing to pigment all the materials that interest him, such as rust, wine, coal, earth, wood and other plants.

During a show in Paris he met Charles Zalber. They have realized together numerous exhibitions in France and abroad.

This collaboration propelled him in the world of painting. KEYA sees himself as a child of the world, the mix of his origins giving him a vision of a world without borders. He undertook many trips before settling in Guadeloupe in 2010 where he discovered Caribbean art and immersed himself in it. In 2016 he set up his studio in Marrakech and now shares his vocabulary of colours and materials where each gesture is the seed of a new universe.

ATAY, or the History of Moroccan Tea

With a  panoramic view of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains and the lush gardens of Four Seasons Resort Marrakech, the exhibition offers a unique experience, an invitation to knowledge, hedonism and travel in the form of an initiatory journey that takes visitors to the heart of the great Moroccan tea epic. Each work tells a story or anecdote that is unique to it, as well as a common story: that of tea. Through his works where the intense and subtle colours mingle with the discreet strength of signs, the artist reveals with great generosity, stories and anecdotes around the history of tea in Morocco. An invitation to hedonism and travel in the form of an initiatory path that takes visitors to the heart of this great epic.

The Wright House

Inspired by this rich history, the Wright House has become a master in the art of creating excellent teas and moments, combining the most luxurious teas with the refined tradition of Moroccan tea and the highest English know-how.