Art

Eugene Delacroix is one of the most famous painters to have exalted in the light of Morocco. He wrote that 'the rare and precious sun gives intense life to everything', and many an artist has followed in his footsteps to try to capture that light in their work. But the country's own artists have grown up in that intense sunlight and its influence can be felt in the warmth of their works.

Joelle Kem Lika is an artist whose work is life affirming, and that's in no small part down to her love of vibrant colour. And what drives her, she says, is her wish to encourage people to prize the natural world.

'I draw my inspiration entirely from nature,' she says, 'and I want to defend our planet by means of my paintings. I try to capture the strength of life -  the force of the sea, the vibrancy of life in the ocean, the delight to be had from flowers, skies, sunsets.'