The Moroccan Van Gogh: A secret Artist Among the Migrant Workers of the 1960's

Abdellah Zaki was born in 1936 in Casablanca. From a young age, he loved painting and writing songs. In 1956, he went to Casablanca’s Fine Art School before Belkahia was the director. His mother sold land so he could study. In 1961, at age 25, he migrated to the Netherlands to work and earn money like many Moroccan men in that time.

Zaki worked in a dog food factory during the day. His work was tough, but he had to provide for his family. His heart was with art. At night after work, he went to his attic and painted for hours while listening to music. Zaki kept his art a secret for the outside world.

His attic was his creative espace and next to painting and making songs, he would read about Van Gogh and Rembrandt. His art reflected both his life in the Netherlands and his memories of Morocco: tulip fields, churches, mosques, and markets of Amsterdam. On Moroccan scenes, he signed his name in Western script. On Dutch scenes, in Arabic. He never had an exhibition during his lifetime.

He was not interested in becoming famous.

When asked why he didn’t want to become famous, he would say: "Van Gogh became famous after his death."

Just before his passing in 2017, he gave his daughter permission to share his art. She organized his first exhibition that same month, but he passed away just before it opened. His daughter, Hajia, made it her mission to honor his work and fight for his recognition.

It wasn’t an easy journey.

In 2019, his 1979 painting of the Amsterdam Flower Market was shown at the Amsterdam Museum. In 2022, a tribute was held in Rabat with support from Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. In 2024, a bridge in Amsterdam was named after him, with the mayor of Amsterdam and Casablanca present.

A documentary about his life was made. His works are now part of Moroccan cultural heritage. His daughter launched the Abdellah Zaki Foundation to honor her father.