Roksy and Drobys, when two Casablanca-based artists break street art gender stereotypes

They are a duo and together they want to end stereotypes surrounding street art in Morocco. Roksy and Drobys are two female Casablanca artists, who found refuge in graffiti, a male-dominated type of visual art.

Their real names are Sara and Imane and the way they were introduced to drawing and street art is not the same. Despite their different styles, they decided to come together, becoming «partners in graffiti».

«I started drawing when I was 14 years old but I stopped for a long period. When I graduated university, I felt like drawing again, especially when Instagram became the go-to platform for artists», Imane, aka Drobys, told Yabiladi.

Starting as an amateur on social media, Imane was mostly drawn to the realistic genre. Drawing portraits and posting them on Instagram boosted her self-esteem and made her take her own talent more seriously. «I used to draw realistic portraits and post them online and the feedback was really encouraging», the veil-wearing artist said.

Unlike Imane, who never went to an art school, Sara, aka Roksy, was clear about her artistic choices since childhood. After high school, she went for the School of Fine Arts. Once there she found herself a true passion for drawing, majoring in illustration and comics.

And just like her partner, Sara took to social media to showcase her talent. «I started posting my creations on social media and Instagram in particular(...) Internet was the platform for us to get noticed», the young artist told Yabiladi.

Graffiti to break stereotypes

With their different backgrounds, Imane and Sara stumbled upon graffiti by chance. While Imane discovered street art when watching a TV program, Sara took her time to understand its meaning and value after working for years in the artistic field.

«I must admit that I used to be one of those people who thought that graffiti is ruining the walls», recalled Sara, who changed her mind later when she «understood the real objective and beauty of it».

While the two female artists started graffiti separately, they both managed to find their identities in street art. Imane’s style is marked by her realistic portraits that she used to draw on papers and canvas and Sara’s is also just a translation of the genre she identifies with.

Imane and Sara decided to join forces after a few attempts to draw on walls with male artists. But being a female street artist is not something we see everyday, according to the two women. «Graffiti is mostly a genre for men», Sara argued, adding : «We believe that female artists should come together to also do art and create some sort of sorority».

Indeed, the Roksy and Drobys duo is mostly about this female force and vibe within the male-dominated field. Combining their two styles, Sara and Imane are up for future adventures, sharing a passion for graffiti and planning new projects.