Mohssin

The unique Moroccan painting technique zouaq
The unique Moroccan painting technique zouaq
The unique Moroccan painting technique zouaq
Zouaq artwork consists of detailed geometric designs and
floral motifs, in a multitude of colors painted by
hand on doors, furniture and wooden objects.
Cedar ceilings and panels are decorated with
traditional motifs. It is an integral part of the
decoration of stately houses, palaces and
sacred spaces in Morocco. According to the
traditional painting method, paint is made by
grinding natural pigments by hand into powder
and mixing with egg yolk and oil.
To make these intricate decorative patterns I use
a hand-drawn template that has been cut, and a
brush with a sharp tip. The design is transferred
to a wooden panel by tapping the template
with a small bag of plaster powder. Then the
complicated patterns and decorations are
painted with a brush in various colors. The basic
colors I use are red, green, yellow, blue, black
and white. Sometimes I use gold and orange
as background color instead of red or yellow.
After the paint has dried, the decoration process
follows with black paint, which gives the design
an aesthetic touch. Finally, we use varnish for a
nice shiny protective layer.