Literature

Reconnecting with her own history, Margaux Derhy turned to her childhood when she began painting. She immersed herself in her family's archives, transposing the characters in the photographs into a marvellous universe, gradually building her Mémoire Vive autofiction. A re-enchantment of her own memories, a world where anything is still possible.

Based in Morocco, Margaux set up her embroidery workshop “Massa Stories” in 2022, training and employing ten Amazigh women to break the solitude of artistic practice and engage with the local community. Together, they embroider images from the past, making this series a collective project that strengthens cultural ties and inspires the artist.

The embroideries are handmade from drawings by the artist, themselves inspired by photographs of her family taken in Morocco in the 1960s. Bound by Amazigh culture, the embroiderers participate in the creation of these images, which echo their own history. The choice of thread types, colors and even composition is always a collegial one. From the initial sketch to framing and exhibition, the women in the studio are involved in the entire creative process.