Mériame Mezgueldi, a French-Moroccan artist, uses her evocative figurative art to explore themes of identity and memory, paying tribute to the often-overlooked chibanis, immigrant workers like her father who helped shape France's history. Through her paintings and upcoming graphic novel, Mezgueldi seeks to honor their legacy and bridge cultural divides, turning art into a powerful act of resistance and solidarity. Mériame Mezgueldi ‹ › Born in Ardèche to a Moroccan working-class family that had settled in France, Mériame Mezgueldi grew up amid the significant social transformations of the 1970s and 1980s. With a mason father and a homemaker mother, she is one of eleven siblings who were committed to achieving success through education and professional training. Yet, Mériame Mezgueldi chose a different path, driven by her passion for drawing and painting. Encouraged by her father, she moved to Lyon in 1999 to study graphic arts for three years. She continued her studies at the Higher Institute of Fine Arts in Besançon, where she obtained her national art diploma. From the beginning of her artistic journey, Mezgueldi has grounded her work in what she calls «a contemporary figuration filled with symbolism.» She explains to Yabiladi that this approach enables her to «explore questions of identity, memory, and social connection» between her two homelands. Figurative Art as a Tribute to the Chibanis While maintaining a process «grounded in reality,» Mériame Mezgueldi seeks to «transcend the visible to uncover what is often unspoken or invisible: tensions, absences, silences, but also hopes.» She confides that her creative process is primarily driven by a belief: «Art can be an act of resistance and solidarity, a means to build bridges between cultures and reveal what unites us in our humanity.» Mériame Mezgueldi has showcased her paintings multiple times in France, Morocco, and other countries, including Germany. In Morocco, she has been exhibiting her works since the 2010s. She first gained attention through the Moroccan consulate in Dijon during an exhibition in France, which led to her connection with the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Living Abroad. She became the first painter to exhibit at the newly established Rivages Space. Prior to this, she displayed her paintings at the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco in 2013 and other venues, including the Voices of Women Festival in Tetouan. Among the events she cherishes in Morocco, Mériame Mezgueldi highlights her participation in the collective exhibition «Traces on Shores,» held from March 26 to April 25, 2026, by the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Living Abroad, celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the Rivages Space in Rabat. «This participation is a significant recognition for us. We appreciate the kind regard from a country of origin where we feel loved and valued in our work and artistic expression,» Mériame Mezgueldi tells us. She sees her involvement in the first decade of this institution as an extension of her initial exhibitions in her homeland. «In Morocco, I experience each of these exhibitions with great pride, especially since my father witnessed some of them. He passed away before my first participation with the Hassan II Foundation, and I wanted to leave a trace of him there by placing his portrait with this work medal.» Mériame Mezgueldi More than a tribute deeply rooted in personal and family narrative, Mériame Mezgueldi believes this insignia carries profound symbolism. «In France, the Legion of Honor is highly revered, with elaborate ceremonies. I feel that my father and the workers of his generation were not sufficiently honored during their lifetimes. As a child of one of these chibanis, I wanted to honor him and elevate the presence of his peers,» the artist shares. An Illustrated Story on Worker Immigration For Mériame Mezgueldi, pictorial art serves as a broader «tribute to the workers who have been rendered invisible by the crisis.» «These are courageous and determined men who shaped their destiny, which is why my upcoming artistic projects also focus on their valorization,» the artist asserts. She is currently working on a graphic novel dedicated to the chibanis and their Moroccan descendants worldwide. Illustration: Mériame Mezgueldi She shares with our editorial team that this project is part of «a memory and transmission approach,» at the intersection of the collective narrative of Moroccan mobility in France and her family's personal history. The work is primarily constructed on illustrations she creates, drawing inspiration from her approach to painting on canvas, complemented by short texts. For Mériame Mezgueldi, it is about elevating «the journey of Moroccan immigrant workers, from their selection in Morocco to the generations born in Europe,» with her father's experience serving as a common thread that weaves an individual trajectory, around which a «collective memory» is built. In the background, the painter evokes memories, hopes, and sacrifices, but also exile, dual belonging, bearings, and resilience. «My wish is for this project to contribute to the transmission of this memory, which remains poorly understood and which we must reconstruct by giving a voice to these caricatured journeys.» Mériame Mezgueldi Undoubtedly, the painter elevates artistic expression to the realm of civic engagement. For her, «art has an aesthetic purpose, it must celebrate beauty, but it must also evoke emotions and be a useful tool, expand the imagination, and provide the opportunity to step aside and view the world differently.» Mériame Mezgueldi maintains that in this context, «an artist is a visionary, in their own way.»
