Painter
Abdelwahab Belkhayat
Before he became a calligrapher, Abdelwahab Belkhayat spent some sixteen years waiting tables in a café in Meknes. His path to art is anything but ordinary.
The artist
A script inherited from his father
After leaving a civil-service job, then the café, he joined his friend Belghazi in an art bazaar where traditional Moroccan pieces were decorated. His first task was to catalogue the shop's books of Islamic jurisprudence. Belghazi also bought the writing boards used by Quran students, and Belkhayat began writing on them in the Islamic script he had learned from his father, a fqih at the al-Qarawiyyin mosque.
A frame shop in Rabat
One day, he took a personal piece to be framed at Bab el Had in Rabat. There he met Hajja Bahiya, who was so taken with it that she asked him to make one for her. It was his first step into the art market.
A slow, demanding art
For Belkhayat, calligraphy is the opposite of improvisation. Where other art forms can follow a sudden idea, calligraphy means filling precise templates, letter by letter, which demands great effort and time. In his mixed-media works on canvas and cardboard, that patience meets texture and earthy colour.
Collecting his work
Moroccan Paintings offers a wide selection of his original calligraphic works. Reserve one on WhatsApp from its page, or see them at ARTWORKS in Casablanca. Discover more in our article on Moroccan calligraphers.
Available works
Archive · sold works
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Frequently asked questions
Where can one acquire a work by Abdelwahab Belkhayat?
Each work may be reserved from its page via WhatsApp, or viewed beforehand at ARTWORKS, our gallery in Casablanca (Luxoria n°5, Avenue Ahmed Charci), during a private viewing by appointment.
What is the price of a work by Abdelwahab Belkhayat?
The works currently on offer range from 3 000 DH to 5 500 DH, depending on format and technique; each piece’s price is shown on its page.
How is the authenticity of the works checked?
No work is offered without first being physically examined by the gallery. For a living artist, authenticity is confirmed directly with the artist; for a deceased artist, a certificate of authenticity and provenance documents are required. Our authenticity protocol
Can the works be delivered?
Yes: within 48 hours in Casablanca and Rabat, three to four days elsewhere in Morocco; international shipping is quoted on request. Payment is made on delivery, by bank transfer or by cheque.
Acquire a work
Private viewing
in Casablanca
See the works of Abdelwahab Belkhayat at ARTWORKS Gallery, by appointment.
Book a viewingARTWORKS Gallery →