Abderrahim Trifis was born in 1974 in Sidi Mokhtar, a picturesque village nestled between Essaouira and Marrakech. He belongs to the Oulad Bou Sbaâ family, transhumants originating from the Sahara and acclaimed for crafting carpets adorned with motifs reminiscent of nomadic life.
He left school early in 1985-86 after completing his primary education. At that time, pursuing studies at the secondary level required traveling to Chichaoua, located 25 kilometers from his home. Constrained by these circumstances, he ventured into commerce before opening his own hair salon in the heart of the souk in 1990. Painting was a calling for him, albeit pursued sporadically.
One of his early works dates to 1996, inspired by the Épinal images depicting the golden legends of saints and prophets that itinerant merchants sell in souks and during moussems. This piece depicts the Prophet's ascent on the Buraq on the Night of Destiny.
In 2005, after watching a program about the singular painters of Essaouira, self-taught artists from the hinterland like himself, Trifis decided to seize the opportunity by presenting three small paintings at the eponymous Damgaard gallery. This initiative marked the beginning of his collaboration with the Danish art critic established in Essaouira since the early 1980s. Thus, he emerged as the latest discovery of this critic. In 2008, he takes a decisive step by definitively leaving his profession as a hairdresser to fully dedicate himself to his art.
Trifis stands out through a remarkable creative expressiveness, instinctively drawing from the archetypes of his nomadic ancestors. He draws inspiration from his environment, a blend of both wild and luminous elements, exploring inner horizons through a captivating imagination.
Renowned for his dreamlike and metamorphic style, Trifis creates artworks imbued with a profound connection to nature and folk tales. His artistic approach seamlessly merges figurative and abstract elements, giving rise to vibrant and abstract compositions that bear witness to his creative universe.
Among the recurring themes in Trifis's body of work, "The Water Bride" stands out, marked by a persistent fascination with sirens that hauntingly permeate his artistic imagination.