Mahi Binebine

Biography

Born in 1959 in Marrakesh, Mahi Binebine moved to Paris in 1980 to pursue his studies in mathematics, which he then taught for eight years before devoting himself to writing and painting.After writing his first novel, “Le sommeil de l’esclave” in 1992, he moved to New York in 1994, where his paintings became part of the permanent collection at the Guggenheim Museum.He came back to France in 1999 but in a tense political climate, after the far-right party almost won the presidential elections, he decided to return to his hometown of Marrakesh where he currently lives and works.
Mahi wrote twelve novels, amongst which “The stars of Sidi Moumen” adapted to cinema by Nabil Ayouch under the name “Horses of god”, winning numerous awards, notably at the festival of Cannes. With Ayouch and the Ali Zaoua Foundation, he presides over six cultural centres named “Les étoiles” (“The Stars”) for the benefit of street children and impoverished youth. Mahi Binebine is widely regarded as the most famous and prolific Moroccan artist, with his books being translated in more than fifteen languages, and his paintings featured in the most prestigious museums and collections around the world.