Chama Mechtaly

Chama Mechtaly (; born July 1992) is a Moroccan artist and activist based in Dubai.

Early life and education Mechtaly was born and raised in Casablanca by a Muslim mother and paternally Jewish father. She remained in Morocco until age 17.

She attended college in the United States, studying conflict resolution and international relations at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts through a scholarship. She began using oil paints at age 15. She was also later threatened with charges of "deformation of national emblems". Her own art was also included in the exhibit, which was organized in collaboration with the Jerusalem Biennale.

Mechtaly was a 2023-2024 fellow of the Atlantic Council's WIn Fellowship.

Style and themes Mechtaly's work tends to focus on Moroccan culture, history, and pluralism. She has painted portraits of both Amazigh and Jewish women, and created paintings which involve Arabic and Hebrew calligraphy. The brand does not use diamonds, as part of a mission to be "conflict free". and in November 2021 was part of a delegation which promoted the agreements in the United States.

Mechtaly has donated some profits from Moors and Saints to Banat el Emarat, a UAE-based NGO focused on women's empowerment.

Personal life Mechtaly moved to the United Arab Emirates in the late 2010s. and an "advocate for interfaith dialogue and pluralism".