The Union of Moroccan Writers (UEM) has paid tribute to the late Farid Belkahia, who passed away last Thursday in Marrakech following a long illness. He was a pioneer and a precursor who dedicated his life to art and contributed to the international influence of Moroccan art. In a statement, the UEM highlights the artistic journey of an outstanding man who left a deep mark on the national and international artistic scene. Born in 1934 in Marrakech, Farid Belkahia was introduced to art by his father, who frequented foreign artistic circles and associated with painters Antoine, Olek, Jeannine Teslar, and Nicolas de Staël. In 1959, he left to study art at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and at the Theatre Academy in Prague, where he studied scenography. From 1962 to 1974, he was appointed director of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Casablanca, where he renovated the concept of art and its teaching by surrounding himself with a team of pioneers, including painters Melehi, Chebaa, Azema, Hamidi, Hafid, and art historians such as Toni Maraini and Bert Flint.