With Gratitude

Morocco

By Lauren di Matteo

In August, I traveled to Morocco to build a body of work for Green Olive Arts, an American-run, Tétouan-based, art residency program that specializes “in connecting the creatives of the world with the culture.” The objective was to produce a marketing campaign that would intimately document all facets of the Moroccan lifestyle, ultimately providing prospective artists with a first-hand glimpse into the vibrant and beautiful culture of Morocco.

Practically, this translated to photographing anything and everything I saw, or did, while in country. We spent three very long weeks shooting this project, visiting local artisans and craftsmen, interviewing restauranteurs, cooking with locals, navigating the markets, and hiking/exploring the region—all with wonderful Moroccan friends at the helm.

Honestly, I’ve never worked so hard on a single project in my life and can’t wait to share the countless stories I had the privilege of documenting. A HUGE thank you to all who have worked on this project with me, from the staff at Green Olive Arts, to each and every Moroccan that opened up their home/studio/business and life to us—never have I experienced such unmerited and overwhelmingly kind hospitality.