Born in Essaouira, Mustapha Asmah is part of the tradition of "singular artists" from his city — those self-taught creators whose work emerges from the collective memory, the mystical atmosphere, and the cultural melting pot of Essaouira. His work draws from an imagination that mixes Arab, Berber, and African influences, expressed through stylized forms, human or animal figures, vibrant colors, and intuitive energy. Mustapha Asmah is among the artists highlighted since the early days of the Damgaard Gallery. Founded in 1988 in Essaouira by Danish Frédéric Damgaard, the gallery was a pioneer — the first in the city — in promoting local naive, popular, and spontaneous art. Located opposite the clock, at the gates of the medina, the Damgaard Gallery provided a stable and respectful exhibition space for Essaouira artists, allowing their works to reach a national and international audience. Thanks to this gallery, painters and sculptors often coming from modest backgrounds — farmers, fishermen, artisans — were able to have their work recognized and disseminated outside traditional circuits. Mustapha Asmah, as an artist supported by this institution, thus belongs to a strong cultural heritage, that of a mythical and inspiring city that has become a center of art and creative freedom. Owning a piece by Asmah means not only acquiring a vibrant painting — filled with raw emotion, memory, and the imagination of Essaouira — but also a fragment of the history of Essaouira art, made accessible through the Damgaard Gallery. This provenance adds historical and cultural value to the work, particularly appreciated by collectors of naive art, outsider art, or contemporary Moroccan art. Type: Oil Country of origin: France Genre: Outsider art, Brut art Characteristics: Signed Theme: Portrait, Self-portrait