Bouchaib Dihaj, Untitled, 2026
Oil on canvas 80 x 60 cm
BOUCHAIB DIHAJ: Eternally Nearby - Recent paintings and work on paper
26/09 - 24/10 2026. OPENING 26/9 4-7pm
Opened by Els van der Plas / Talk by Dr. Marja Konstantinovski
The Suzanne Biederberg Gallery is delighted to open our new season with Eternally Nearby, an exhibition of Bouchaib Dihaj’s most recent work. This exhibition brings together his abstract paintings and works on paper that extend his interest in cellular biology.
In the artist’s own words:
“In my latest series, I have been intuitively inspired by what I call “micro-organisms.” These are forms that do not have a scientific origin, yet are rooted in a direct encounter with scientific research. I find the intersection of art and science fascinating. Painting is my medium; it gives me the freedom to explore and give shape to worlds without boundaries.”
Dihaj continues to investigate the insights he gained as a result of a personal experience a few years ago. As medical instruments have revealed to him the inside of his own body, so does the biologist’s microscope let us see the hidden structure—often geometric or even roughly symmetrical—of the cells that make up plants and life in general. His drawings and paintings are inspired by the connection between science and spirituality. Rather than try to resolve the contradiction between them, he chooses to use it as a means to keep his mind alert and open to artistic expression.
Bouchaib Dihaj (Casablanca) is of a generation of artists who came to the Netherlands and found their voice through platforms such as the Gate Foundation. After receiving a Master of Arts from the École Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Casablanca, he continued his studies in the Netherlands —first at the AKI (Akademie voor Kunst en Industrie) in Enschede, followed by the Rijksakademie voor Beeldende Kunst in Amsterdam, both even then considered among the most dynamic academies in the country. He experienced the artistic scene in the Netherlands as very welcoming and open. Els van der Plas invited him to the exhibition “Klimaat” at the Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden.
Els van der Plas founded the Gate Foundation in Amsterdam in 1987 to support non-European artists and in 1997 became the first director of the Prince Claus Foundation, dedicated to supporting culture and freedom of expression wherever they are under pressure. She is currently Director of Allard Pierson, which conserves, showcases, and archives its extensive collection of antiquities alongside Dutch cultural history in areas such as theatre, fashion, and gastronomy.
Dr. Marja Konstantinovski M.D., a physician and microbiologist, will offer her insights into Dihaj’s based on her expertise as a medical researcher, combined with her interest in contemporary art. She happened to visit Dihaj’s studio and recognised in one of his paintings a drawing she had used as the cover of her doctoral dissertation, and thus found a connection between his work and her scientific investigations.
For more information or press material or to arrange an interview with the artist, please contact the gallery.
In the artist’s own words:
“In my latest series, I have been intuitively inspired by what I call “micro-organisms.” These are forms that do not have a scientific origin, yet are rooted in a direct encounter with scientific research. I find the intersection of art and science fascinating. Painting is my medium; it gives me the freedom to explore and give shape to worlds without boundaries.”
Dihaj continues to investigate the insights he gained as a result of a personal experience a few years ago. As medical instruments have revealed to him the inside of his own body, so does the biologist’s microscope let us see the hidden structure—often geometric or even roughly symmetrical—of the cells that make up plants and life in general. His drawings and paintings are inspired by the connection between science and spirituality. Rather than try to resolve the contradiction between them, he chooses to use it as a means to keep his mind alert and open to artistic expression.
Bouchaib Dihaj (Casablanca) is of a generation of artists who came to the Netherlands and found their voice through platforms such as the Gate Foundation. After receiving a Master of Arts from the École Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Casablanca, he continued his studies in the Netherlands —first at the AKI (Akademie voor Kunst en Industrie) in Enschede, followed by the Rijksakademie voor Beeldende Kunst in Amsterdam, both even then considered among the most dynamic academies in the country. He experienced the artistic scene in the Netherlands as very welcoming and open. Els van der Plas invited him to the exhibition “Klimaat” at the Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden.
Els van der Plas founded the Gate Foundation in Amsterdam in 1987 to support non-European artists and in 1997 became the first director of the Prince Claus Foundation, dedicated to supporting culture and freedom of expression wherever they are under pressure. She is currently Director of Allard Pierson, which conserves, showcases, and archives its extensive collection of antiquities alongside Dutch cultural history in areas such as theatre, fashion, and gastronomy.
Dr. Marja Konstantinovski M.D., a physician and microbiologist, will offer her insights into Dihaj’s based on her expertise as a medical researcher, combined with her interest in contemporary art. She happened to visit Dihaj’s studio and recognised in one of his paintings a drawing she had used as the cover of her doctoral dissertation, and thus found a connection between his work and her scientific investigations.
For more information or press material or to arrange an interview with the artist, please contact the gallery.