Mauritania is on the tip of West Africa south of Morocco and north of Senegal. It is among the largest countries in the world by area although 90% of it is uninhabitable Sahara desert and the people live in the temperate south country along a series of rivers. Historically and to this day Mauritania has a mixture of cultures such Bidhan also known as white Moors, Haratin also known as black moors, and West Africans. The Moors are culturally descended from Arabs and Berbers. The word moor is the origin of the name, Mauritania (Moor-itania). Politically it has been ruled by a series of military dictatorships until a relatively recent democratic election occurred. The painting is an abstract interpretation of sand and sandstone mixing together, symbolizing a mix of Arab and West African cultures. When I investigated the landscape, it was a very flat desert with dunes and the occasional oasis of greenery. In every scene there were smooth sandstone rocks with sand blowing over them which created an interesting contrast. The sand itself is derived from rocks eroding, and yet the two substances (rock and sand) could not be more different. Wind takes centuries to erode the rocks, but it can blow around the sand in a matter of seconds.
World Inspired Landscapes: Mauritania, watercolour 9 x 12" watercolour paper, March 2024
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