Rachid Koraichi

Rachid Koraichi, from a Sufi family of Qur'anic scholars descended from the Arab Quraysh tribe, explores themes of human existence, spirituality and the fragility of life in *L'encerclement de la Poussière d'un Homme* (1986). This work, printed in a limited edition of 40, is a profound reflection of the influence of Sufi mysticism and Islamic cultural heritage on his work.

Printed in etching, the work testifies to Koraichi's technical mastery. The motif and handwritten inscriptions are engraved on a copper plate and then printed on paper, creating a composition rich in detail and texture. The background, tinted light coral, is covered with a dense, hypnotic ochre Arabic script. However, the artist makes it clear that this is not traditional calligraphy, but personal writing, akin to a poem or diary.

At the center of the composition appears a large abstract black form, representing according to Koraichi the image of a desiccated man surrounded by dust. This figure seems to melt into the surrounding inscriptions, symbolizing the gradual disappearance of the human being and the ephemerality of the human condition.

The work was created during Koraichi's collaboration with the art publishing house EDITART in Geneva, founded by Orlando Blanco, and printed in a Barcelona workshop with Japanese engraver Yamamoto. Through this piece, Koraichi expresses a Sufi reflection on mortality, the impermanence of the body and the soul's eternal quest for spiritual elevation.