In more ways than one, the work of La Jolla artist Chakib Bouhdary is like a mosaic. In practice, he takes his material, cuts it into shapes and puts it back together to create something new. Personally, the effort to create the pieces represents the coming together of his upbringing, past careers and his life in La Jolla to tell a story.

Bouhdary was selected to be one of four artists in the upcoming Art San Diego Local Talent program, which chooses local artists with studios at the Arts District in Point Loma’s Liberty Station to have a booth at the show.

Art San Diego will be held Friday through Sunday, Nov. 3-5, at the San Diego Convention Center downtown.

As part of the program, Bouhdary taught art classes at San Diego’s Monarch School (which serves students affected by homelessness), and the resulting pieces will be on display and available for purchase with a suggested donation to the school.

“It’s very exciting to be a part of this, it’s really a privilege,” Bouhdary said, especially given that he moved to La Jolla only two years ago and recently joined the local art scene. He’s originally from Morocco and was trained in the technology industry before retiring and dedicating his time to his art.

“I liked art for a long time and did projects here and there, but when I retired, I tried to connect all the pieces of my life together through my art,” he said. “Morocco is colorful and lively; they use shape and color to create beautiful spaces. So I took advantage of my culture and blended it with newer art technology like alcohol-based paint and resin to make these pieces.”

With his move to La Jolla, Bouhdary is constantly inspired by the ocean and sunsets because they are “never the same twice; there are always new colors or clouds or flow or light,” he said. He often tries to re-create the feeling of a sunset in his work.

To make his pieces — which can be placed on everything from a canvas to a coffee table — he takes whatever material he is working with, paints it, cuts it or breaks it into pieces and reassembles them. He covers the completed pieces with a shiny sealant to “make the colors pop even more.”

“It’s very elaborate work, but beautiful when it’s finished,” he said.

Bouhdary said the process “came very naturally” to students at the Monarch School because of its hands-on nature and creative aspects. But they also “broke the rules to make something that was just theirs,” he added.

Bouhdary did two sessions with the students and one with their parents so they could replicate the projects as home.

“We did 15 pieces together. I was blown away by what these kids produced in an hour and a half,” he said. “It proved to me the value of making art accessible. Art can be anything that makes you feel calm or happy.”

He also believes that art is necessary as a complement to the more technical skills children learn to be successful adults.

“When you look at something that is the right balance between design and function, like a car or a phone, that is the result of someone using the creative and the practical sides of their brain,” he said. “I think we push children toward the practical side, but I think we need to encourage the use of both sides of the brain. I feel strongly that we need to expose kids as much as possible to the beauty of art. It’s critical to the future of jobs and the future of humanity. It’s really powerful.”

Discovering the artistic talent in San Diego has been “eye-opening,” Bouhdary said, and he wants others to discover it as well.

“It’s so important to have artists in the community,” he said. “It really surprised me that we have an Arts District in Liberty Station. There are amazing local artists that show there. I would encourage people to get involved in their local art community.”

Bouhdary’s Bouhdy Art studio is at Liberty Station’s Barracks 19, 2690 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma. To learn more about Art San Diego, visit redwoodartgroup.com/art-san-diego. ◆