Join our Artistic Director, Maeve Doyle, as she delves into the life and artistic style of Touils, an emerging young talent, newly represented by Maddox. From the streets of Oujda, Morocco, to the global stage, discover the inspirations and challenges that have shaped Touils' path ahead of his eagerly anticipated solo exhibition at Maddox Berkeley Street.
Through this conversation, we catch a glimpse of Touils' profound artistic journey, marked by resilience, transformation and an unwavering commitment to infuse the world with beauty and hope.
Maeve: Touils, tell us about yourself and what do you do?
Touils: I arrived in France from Morocco aged 11 or 12. It was a hard time for me, and I was searching for ways to escape my reality. This is when I first began painting, and it grew from there. When I paint, I think about my family and my culture, which I miss very much. When I was young, I received so much love, and that was taken away from me very suddenly. Today, I paint what I seek: love, positive energy and light. I want the audience to be transported when they look at my paintings, the same way I am when I am creating them.
Maeve: What are your influences, culturally and artistically?
Touils: I see myself as a contemporary Impressionist, with the French vanguards influencing me greatly. Van Gogh is an important source of inspiration: his difficult past, his desire to liberate himself from negative energy and express himself through his dramatic use of colour. More than a century later, you can see that energy in his canvases. Monet and Paul Gauguin are also powerful influences. The freedom of their brush strokes and their use of light are very inspiring for me.
The artist in hist studio in Lille, France.
Maeve: A bridge is one of the motifs in this body of work, what does it mean to you?
Touils: When I was painting the orange triptych The Old Bridge in The Autumn Forest, I realised a bridge has lots of different meanings: it represents history, the passing of time and, most importantly, a crossing point. In this painting, the bridge represents my journey to becoming an artist and embracing a new future.
Maeve: Another motif is water?
Touils: For me, there is nothing softer than water. It represents peace and is an integral part of my practice. In all my paintings, I incorporate a bit of water, hidden somewhere. It’s like leaving a little part of me in each painting.
The Old Bridge in the Autumn Forest, 2023
Maeve: Can you talk about your use of colour?
Touils: Completely intuitive. I decide on the predominant colour for each piece based on the emotion I wish to express. I listen to myself and trust my instincts.
Maeve: Tell me more about your exhibition ‘True Colours’. Do you have any favourite works in the show?
Touils: Will You Marry Me? really resonates with me — it’s very personal. When I look at it, I see my parents and ask myself what marriage means. When I created it, I was considering traditional conventions and how everyone has a different opinion of them. Viewers will have their own thoughts on marriage, for example. Ultimately, the unifying theme of my works is love. I seek love. I paint love.
Will You Marry Me?, 2024
Maeve Doyle is the Artistic Director of Maddox Gallery.
To stay up-to-date with Touils news, please register your interest for the artist here.
