El Hadi Cherfouh

Biography

My name is El Hadi Cherfouh. I am originally from Kabylie, a mountainous region in northest Algeria. I moved with my family to Canada in 2009. I am married and the father of two children.  I currently work as an educational assistant at Mathieu Martin school in Dieppe.  

I completed my schooling in Algeria, with an engineering diploma and a master's degree in geology. 

Since our arrival in Canada, I have gradually become interested in painting, going to see the exhibitions organized by the Dieppe Arts Center and the Aberden Gallery in Moncton.

I am self-taught and have not had any training in this area.  It was through repetition, I would say of my mistakes, that I ended up learning to handle the brush and becoming aware of the complexity of this vast domain, impregnable in many aspects. 

Since I started, I have used acrylic paint. I essentially paint imaginary landscapes, of course, but which are inevitably inspired by sometimes less perceptible realities. 

My training in geology and my long professional experience have certainly influenced my perception of nature, in terms of relief, fauna and flora. Indeed, for years I had the opportunity, if not the chance, to travel the vast Algerian territory, from the coast to the depths of the Sahara desert, and of which I keep unforgettable memories, some of which nourish my inspiration. and my brushstrokes on the canvas.

Last year, in December 2023, I organized an exhibition and sale of my works and those of other work colleagues, at the Mathieu Martin school in Dieppe. The exhibition was a success and the money raised was donated to the Association Carrefour pour Femmes Inc. de Moncton (Crossroads for Women Inc.).  

The exhibition at the Dieppe Arts Center is another great opportunity to share with art lovers and the public in general, my creations on the theme of nature and the environment which is becoming a global issue these days. 

Artistic approach

My works are made with acrylic paint, on fabric supports of different sizes. Each support is previously prepared and consolidated with a thick layer of gesso. I used quality mediums, from the Winsor & Newton and Amsterdam brands, without any addition of water or other substances to dilute them. 

My work mainly focuses on the reproduction of imaginary landscapes, with two recurring elements, notably the mountains and the trees which constitute, without a doubt, imprints which refer to my childhood and my journey on the winding paths of life.

These are works, without preconceptions, coming from natural inspiration, through which I try to modestly reflect, in my own way, this living reality, steeped in vulnerable ecosystems of fauna and flora, releasing constantly, according to the seasons, this singular beauty carried by multiform landscapes, embellished in an amalgam of compatible colors and bewitching even in their contrast.  

Each of my works is a renewed attempt to highlight certain of its colors, whose appearance and arrangement translate the expression of my ideas, my emotions and my sometimes confused perception of such a fragile reality, and of which preservation depends on our commitment and the small actions we take every day.