About
Painter,sculptorandwriter.
Mahi Binebine was born in 1959 in Marrakech, where he currently lives and works. He moved to Paris in 1980 to pursue studies in mathematics, a discipline he taught for several years before fully dedicating himself to writing and painting.
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Mahi Binebine was born in 1959 in Marrakech, where he currently lives and works. He moved to Paris in 1980 to pursue studies in mathematics, a discipline he taught for several years before fully dedicating himself to writing and painting.
In the 1990s, he settled in New York, a formative period during which his work developed and gained recognition on the international art scene. His works entered major collections, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Smithsonian Museum.
Upon returning to Marrakech in the early 2000s, he developed a singular body of work, both pictorial and sculptural, where materials such as wax, pigments, and ashes become a language of their own. His often fragmented figures evoke the memory of bodies, exile, confinement, and resilience.
Alongside his visual practice, he is the author of several novels translated internationally. His writing explores human fragility, intimate histories, and the darker layers of contemporary history. Les Étoiles de Sidi Moumen was adapted into the film Les Chevaux de Dieu.
His work is profoundly shaped by his family history, notably the years his brother spent imprisoned in Tazmamart, a memory that runs through his practice without ever confining it.
He co-founded the Fondation Ali Zaoua with Nabil Ayouch to support access to culture for young people from underprivileged communities. He is also co-founder and president of the African Book Festival of Marrakech, which highlights African literature and contemporary voices.
- 2023 — Mediterranean Culture Prize, Fondazione Carical, Italy · My Ghost Brother.
- 2020 — Prix Méditerranée, Street of Forgiveness.
- 2019 — Renaudot Prize shortlist, Street of Forgiveness.
- 2018 — Knight of the Legion of Honour, France.
- 2017 — Giustino Fortunato Prize, For his social commitment.
- 2017 — Renaudot Prize shortlist, The King's Fool.
- 2011 — Public Diplomacy Award, For the reach of his work abroad.
- 2010 — Arabic Novel Prize, Horses of God.
- 2010 — La Mamounia Literary Prize, Horses of God.
- 2001 — Franco-Arab Friendship Prize, Pollen.
- 1992 — Prix Méditerranée, The Slave's Sleep.
International
- Smithsonian National MuseumWashington, United States
- Pérez Art MuseumMiami, United States
- MSU Broad Art MuseumMichigan, United States
- Guggenheim MuseumNew York, United States
- Gandur Foundation for ArtGeneva, Switzerland · A collection of contemporary art from Africa and its diasporas
- Dalloul FoundationBeirut, Lebanon
- Arab World InstituteParis, France
- Gorée History MuseumGorée, Senegal
- Kamel Lazaar FoundationTunis, Tunisia
In Morocco
- UNESCO headquartersRabat
- Marrakech MuseumMarrakech
- Palmeraie MuseumMarrakech
- Bank Al-Maghrib MuseumRabat
- Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary ArtRabat
- Kinda FoundationCasablanca
- Société GénéraleCasablanca
- Banque Commerciale du MarocCasablanca
- Crédit Agricole du MarocRabat
- CIH MarocCasablanca
- BMCE BankCasablanca
- Artorium, TGCC FoundationCasablanca
- 2023 — My Morocco — I thought I was dreaming, Artorium, TGCC Foundation.
- 2022 — The Right to Live, MACAM Museum, TGCC Foundation · With Younes Ajarrai.
- 2022 — Carte blanche for Mahi Binebine, Galerie Abla Ababou.
- 2016 — Imprint, Carte blanche for the 6th Marrakech Biennale · Palmeraie Museum.
- 2015 — Defiance, Carte blanche at the Palmeraie Museum, Marrakech, during the World Human Rights Forum, then at the United Nations in Geneva and New York. With Younes Ajarrai.
- 2014 — Carte blanche for Mahi Binebine, CDG Foundation, Rabat.
- Memory of Dust, Yasmina Alaoui · TGCC Foundation.
- 100 artists at the Palmeraie Museum, A sale in support of the Ali Zaoua Foundation.
- Carte blanche for Mahi Binebine, Galerie Noir sur Blanc.