Ghizlane Sahli

Multimedia sculptor | Marrakesh, Morocco

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Maison de l'Artisan

Beyond the artistic uses of plastic waste

Ghizlane wants her work to question and give hope to people
Her favourite materials are silk and threads
Everything is a source of inspiration for her works

Ghizlane Sahli is a sculptor, illustrator, embroiderer and architect, who trained at the École d'Architecture de Paris-Tolbiac and the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Upon her return to Marrakesh, she established her workshop. Starting with an embroidery atelier, she collaborated with local artisans for seven years, earning acclaim including the Prize for Creation at the Trophée Couleurs in 2009. Inspired by a dress made from waste materials in 2012, she co-founded the Zbel Manifesto collective, dedicated to transforming waste into art. Today, Ghizlane creates three-dimensional embroidery sculptures from waste. Her Marrakesh workshop serves as a hub for collaboration with local artisans, where together they explore innovative techniques and sustainable practices, embodying her commitment to environmental consciousness and creative expression. She infuses her work with soul by using local materials, often incorporating earth from the places she works in.

Interview

What is the relationship between your craft and Morocco?: After living in the south of France for a few years, I returned to Morocco so my children could grow up here. Marrakesh, where I grew up, holds a special place in my heart. I love its lights, perfume, and creativity; it never ceases to inspire me. I use traditional Moroccan embroidery techniques, like sabra silk from the medina, in my work. I often collaborate with local women to create my pieces.
Are there specific materials you prefer to work with?: My favourite material is silk, which I use to cover waste. I like the confrontation of this natural and noble material with plastic waste created by humans. I also enjoy working with any kind of thread, as I like to weave connections.
What kind of shapes, lines and colours do you use?: I created the Alveoli, a plastic waste covered with silk.The Alveoli serves as the elementary particle of my work. It is an organic circle, that has a different shape each time. I like its roundness as it gives a very natural echo to my work. The colours I prefer are red, blue, green and white, as they are the colours of nature.
How are you using your work to make a difference?: My work is about celebration, mostly of the female body for which I use metaphors with nature. During my workshops, I always start by telling the women I work with: "We are going to talk about our bodies as women, we are going to love our bodies and feel beautiful, with all the respect and love that we have within us."

Ghizlane Sahli is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2014