Rachid Koraïchi — From Our Store

Rachid Koraïchi was born in Aïn Beïda, Algeria, in 1947, and now lives and works in Tunisia and France. He first studied at the Institute of Fine Arts and the Superior National School of the Arts in Algeria, before moving to France to continue his studies at the National School of Decorative Arts and the School of Urban Studies in Paris. Koraïchi’s work extends across an impressive range of materials which include ceramics, textiles, bronze, Corten steel, alabaster, print and etching on paper and paint on canvas. His work is influenced by a fascination with signs: symbols, glyphs and ciphers drawn from a variety of languages and cultures.

October Gallery first showed Koraïchi’s work in 2003 and has since presented five solo exhibitions of his work, amongst numerous group shows and external projects. In 2011, October Gallery collaborated with ADMAF to present Koraïchi’s masterpiece Path of Roses, dedicated to Rumi, in Abu Dhabi. In 2015, he completed work on his largest, installation to date, La Prière des Absents, honouring his parents. In 2021, Rachid bought agricultural land in Zarzis, Tunisia, with his daughters, Aïcha and Fatma, to create a memorial resting place, Jardin d’Afrique, for migrants of all nationalities and religions who died crossing the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better life.

In 2011, seven of the 99 banners of The Invisible Masters (2010) won the prestigious Jameel Prize at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. This major installation was first shown in its entirety in The Future of Tradition - The Tradition of Future at Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany, 2010. Koraichi’s works are part of major public collections such as the British Museum, London, UK; the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, New York, USA; the Newark Museum, Newark, USA; the National Gallery, Amman, Jordan; the Miami Art Museum, Miami, USA; the Guggenheim, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Vatican Library, Rome, Italy and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi, India.