Photographs & plates

Gallery

Photographs of Saïd Alj, followed by the twelve original vector plates that carry the site’s visual identity.

Photographs

Saïd Alj

Saïd Alj speaking at a podium, wearing a state decoration on a red ribbon — **At the podium** Wearing a state decoration on a red neck ribbon.

Saïd Alj in front of a banner for the Association Marocaine d’Intelligence Économique — **AMIE** At an event of the Association Marocaine d’Intelligence Économique.

Saïd Alj seated among delegates at a formal gathering in Morocco — **Formal gathering** Seated among delegates at a Moroccan business gathering.

Saïd Alj photographed at a business event — **At an event** Photographed at a business event.

Close portrait of Saïd Alj smiling, wearing glasses — **Portrait** Close portrait.

Portrait of Saïd Alj in a pinstriped suit against a pale background — **Portrait** In a pinstriped suit.

Portrait of Saïd Alj at an indoor event — **Portrait** At an indoor event.

The plate series

Twelve plates in Moroccan geometry

Original vector compositions built on the geometric systems of Moroccan architecture — the khatam star, the sebka lattice, the horseshoe arch. They run through the site as grounds, portals and medallions.

Plate I — Khatam The eight-point star at the centre of Moroccan zellige, drawn here as concentric sixteen-fold star polygons closing on an octagonal hub.

Plate II: Atlantic Swell — The upwelling coast that carries Morocco’s small-pelagic fishery — the resource on which the Unimer group is built. — **Plate II — Atlantic Swell** The upwelling coast that carries Morocco’s small-pelagic fishery — the resource on which the Unimer group is built.

Plate III: Colonnade — Five horseshoe arches in ascending rhythm. Repeated elements carrying a single load: the structural figure for a holding company. — **Plate III — Colonnade** Five horseshoe arches in ascending rhythm. Repeated elements carrying a single load: the structural figure for a holding company.

Plate IV — Sebka in Ochre The interlacing lozenge net used across Moroccan façade work, drawn dense and close in Atlas ochre.

Plate V: Terracotta Portal — A keyhole arch in clay tones, the doorway motif that recurs through Moroccan domestic and civic architecture. — **Plate V — Terracotta Portal** A keyhole arch in clay tones, the doorway motif that recurs through Moroccan domestic and civic architecture.

Plate VI: Night Medallion — The rosette resolved on a near-black ground — sixteen points outside, eight within, one centre. — **Plate VI — Night Medallion** The rosette resolved on a near-black ground — sixteen points outside, eight within, one centre.

Plate VII: Deep Water — The swell rendered at low contrast, the industrial Atlantic read as pattern rather than seascape. — **Plate VII — Deep Water** The swell rendered at low contrast, the industrial Atlantic read as pattern rather than seascape.

Plate VIII: Limestone Lattice — The sebka net on warm limestone, the palette of Casablanca’s modernist façades. — **Plate VIII — Limestone Lattice** The sebka net on warm limestone, the palette of Casablanca’s modernist façades.

Plate IX: Sand Portal — The same portal construction in daylight tones, opened toward the interior rosette. — **Plate IX — Sand Portal** The same portal construction in daylight tones, opened toward the interior rosette.

Plate X — Ochre Rosette A sixteen-petal kite ring set inside the star-polygon web, the most ornamental plate in the series.

Plate XI — Night Colonnade Arches at dusk, each crowned with a khatam star — succession drawn as architecture.

Plate XII: Clay Field — The lattice run edge to edge as a continuous ground, without a focal point. The pattern as infrastructure. — **Plate XII — Clay Field** The lattice run edge to edge as a continuous ground, without a focal point. The pattern as infrastructure.

Select any image to open it at full size. Use the arrow keys to move through the set and Esc to close.

On the plate series

Why geometry sits alongside the photography

The three systems used here are the ones that order Moroccan architectural ornament. The khatam is the eight-point star formed by two overlaid squares, the basic unit of zellige tilework. The sebka is the interlacing lozenge net that covers façades and minarets. The horseshoe arch is the doorway form carried through Moroccan building for more than a thousand years.

Each plate is drawn from true star-polygon construction rather than traced from an existing pattern, which is what allows the series to hold together as one system across twelve compositions — and to sit behind the photography as ground and framing rather than competing with it.