Amsterdam Oud-West , North Holland, Netherlands — Northwestern Europe
Abdellah Zaki
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, July 7, 2024
1. Abdellah Zaki Marker
De in Marokko geboren Abdellah Zaki studeerde in Casablanca aan de kunstacademie. In de roerige jaren vijftig, waarin het land zich losmaakte van het overheersende Frankrijk, waren er weinig mogelijkheden in de kunst. In 1961 vertrok Zaki met zijn verfspullen naar Nederland. Een vaste baan als fabrieksarbeider en een huis in Swifterbant maakte gezinshereniging mogelijk. In zijn vrije tijd schilderde en componeerde Zaki op zolder. Hij was te bescheiden en druk met zijn gezin om met zijn kunst naar buiten te treden. In zijn laatste levensjaar beloofde zijn dochter Hajia om dat voor hem te doen. Die belofte is zij nagekomen, mede gesterkt door kunstkenners die Abdellah Zaki 'de Marokkaanse Van Gogh' noemen. Zijn schilderij van de Bloemenmarkt, waarin hij zijn liefde voor de hoofdstad uit, hangt in het Amsterdam Museum. In de kunstacademie in zijn vaderland is een klaslokaal/atelier naar hem vernoemd. Zaki staat symbool voor de hardwerkende arbeidsmigranten en het leven tussen twee culturen, dat ook voelbaar is bij generaties na hen. De door zijn dochter opgerichte Foundation Zaki Child HeArt houdt met verbindende projecten zijn nalatenschap levend en zal Zaki's kunst de verdiende plek geven in de gedeelde geschiedenis van Marokko en Nederland.
Abdellah Zaki, born in Morocco, studied at the art academy in Casablanca. In the turbulent 1950s, when the country broke away from Frances domination, there were few opportunities in the arts. In 1961 Zaki left for the Netherlands with his painting supplies. A steady job as a factory worker and a house in Swifterbant made family reunification possible. In his spare time, Zaki painted and composed music in the attic. He was too modest and busy with his family to go public with his art. In the last year of his life, his daughter Hajia promised to do that for him. She has kept that promise, with some art experts calling Abdellah Zaki 'the Moroccan Van Gogh'. His painting of the Flower Market, in which he expresses his love for the capital, hangs in the Amsterdam Museum. At the art academy his homeland has a classroom/studio named after him. Zaki symbolizes the hardworking migrant workers and the life between two cultures, which is also felt by generations after them. The Zaki Child HeArt Foundation, founded by his daughter, keeps his legacy alive with related projects and will give Zaki's artworks their deserved place in the shared history of Morocco and the Netherlands.
Erected 2024
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. In addition, it is included in the Give Streets a Face / Geef Straten Een Gezicht series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 12, 2017.
Location. 52° 21.999′ N, 4° 52.466′ E. Marker is in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland (North Holland). It is in Amsterdam Oud-West. It is at the intersection of Jacob van Lennepstraat and Da Costakade, on the right when traveling west on Jacob van Lennepstraat. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Amsterdam, Noord-Holland 1053 HD, Netherlands. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, the Benelux Low Countries, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire and specifically also the Holy Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Tetterode Complex (about 210 meters away, measured in a direct line); Hannie Dankbaar (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Nico Richter
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, July 7, 2024
2. Abdellah Zaki Marker - wide view
The marker was dedicated on April 14, 2024, and installed on Bridge 180, which is now named in his honor (Abdellah Zakibrug).
Also see . . . Brug vernoemd naar Marokkaanse Van Gogh (YouTube, 2:48). = Bridge named after the Moroccan Van Gogh. Video montage of the highlights of the bridge and marker dedication, including remarks from Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema (in Dutch), Moroccan Ambassador Basra (in English), and the artists daughter, Hajia (in Dutch). (Submitted on July 7, 2024.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 326 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 7, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
