Mahi Binebine

Mahi Binebine (; born 1959) is a Moroccan painter and novelist. Binebine has written twelve novels which have been translated into various languages.

Career Born in 1959 in Marrakesh, Mahi Binebine moved to Paris in 1980 to continue his studies in mathematics, which he taught for eight years. He then devoted himself to writing and painting. He wrote several novels, which have been translated into a dozen languages. He emigrated to New York from 1994 to 1999. His paintings are part of the permanent collection at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. He returned to Marrakesh in 2002 where he currently lives and works.

In "Mamaya’s Last Journey" the author is drawing on an episode from his family history. His brother Aziz was one of the young officers who had taken part in the failed military coup against King Hassan II in 1971. For 18 years, he was imprisoned in the desert camp of Tazmamart, under conditions of unimaginable and almost indescribable brutality. Of the 56 prisoners, only half survived; among them, Aziz Binebine. Mahi Binebine's fellow writer Tahar Ben Jelloun took this story as the basis for his novel This Blinding Absence of Light.

Welcome to Paradise, the English translation of Cannibales (by Lulu Norman) was short-listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2004. Horses of God, also translated by Lulu Norman (original: Les étoiles de Sidi Moumen), was shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award in 2014. It was made into a feature film in Morocco in 2011, called Horses of God, directed by Nabil Ayouch and selected for the official Moroccan entry for best foreign language film for the 2013 Oscars.

In 2020, Mahi won the Mediterranean Prize for his novel "Rue du pardon".

Novels Le sommeil de l'esclave, Ed. Stock 1992, Les funérailles du lait, Ed. Stock 1994, L'ombre du poète, Ed. Stock 1997, Pollens, Ed. Fayard 2001, Terre d'ombres brulée, 1997 Ed. Fayard, Cannibales, Ed. Fayard 1999, Ed. L'Aube, (English translation Welcome to Paradise) Le griot de Marrakech, 2005 Ed. L'Aube, Les étoiles de Sidi Moumen, Ed. Flammarion 2010 (English translation "Horses of God"), French Prix du roman arabe; Movie by Nabil Ayouch, Les chevaux de Dieu, English translation Horses of God Le Seigneur vous le rendra, Ed. Flammarion 2013, Le fou du Roi, Ed. Stock 2017,

Exhibitions

2017 Galerie Abla Ababou, Rabat 2017 Art Paris (Grand Palais) 2017 Galerie DX 2017 Rétrospective – Galerie Claude Lemand 2016 Musée MACMA, Marrakesh 2015 Insoumission 2015 Forum international des droits de L'Homme 2015 Musée de la Palmeraie, Marrakesh 2014 Musée de la Palmeraie, Marrakesh 2013 Galerie Document 15, Paris 2012 Galerie 38, Casablanca 2012 Galerie Benamou, Paris 2011 Galerie Caprice Horn, Berlin 2011 Galerie Loft (Expo à six mains avec Mourabiti et Yamou), Casablanca 2010 Galerie Atelier 21 (Casablanca) 2010 AAART Foundation, Kitzbühel, Austria 2009 53ème Biennale de Venise Venice Biennale 2009 AAART Foundation - Autriche 2009 Galerie CMOOA, Rabat 2009 Galerie Delacroix, Tanger 2008 Galerie Atelier 21 - Casablanca 2008 Galerie Violon Bleu - Londres 2008 Galerie Navarra - 75 Faubourg, Paris 2008 Galerie Loft, Paris 2008 Galerie Bailly, Paris 2008 Foundation FAAP, São Paulo 2007 Siège Société Générale Morocco, Casablanca 2007 Galerie Nationale Bab Rouah, Rabat 2007 Galerie Noir sur blanc, Marrakesh 2007 Palais des Congrès, Grasse (France) 2007 Le Lazaret Olandini, Ajaccio (Avec Yamou) 2006 Kasbah Agafay, Marrakesh 2006 Galerie Venise Cadre, Casablanca 2006 Galerie les Atlassides, Marrakesh 2005 Galerie Venise-Cadre, Casablanca 2005 Galerie Atlassides, Marrakesh 2005 Musée Archéologique de Silves (Portugal) 2005 Eglise de la Miséricorde, Silves (Portugal) 2005 Gemap, Casablanca 2004 Arte Invest, Rome 2004 Festival Arte Mare Bastia (corse) 2004 Bellas Artes, Madrid 2004 Galerie Atalante, Madrid 2004 Galerie Brigitte Schenk, Cologne 2003 Espace Actua, Casablanca (avec Yamou) 2003 Galerie Bab el kebir, Rabat (avec Selfati) 2003 Galerie AAM, Rome 2003 Studio Bocchi, Rome 2003 Fundacione Maturen, Tarazona. 2003 Galerie Baskoa, Barcelonne. 2003 Kunst Köln, Galerie Brigitte Schenk 2002 Galerie Dahiez & Associés, Zurich 2002 Galerie Brigitte Schenk, Cologne 2002 Musée de Marrakech 2002 Société Générale Marocaine, Casablanca 2002 Institut Cervantes, Tanger 2002 Galerie Brigitte Schenk, Kunst Köln 2002 Ministère de la culture, Abu Dhabi 2001 Tinglado 4 Moll de Costa, Taragone 2001 Palais des congrès, Grasse. 2000 Espace Paul Ricard, Paris 2000 Galerie El Manar, Casablanca 1999 Galerie Stendhal, New York 1999 Galerie du Fleuve, Paris 1999 Galerie Brigitte Shenk, Cologne 1998 Galerie Ott, Düsseldorf 1998 Museum of Contemporary Art, Washington, D.C. 1997 Galerie Stendhal, New York. 1989 Contemporary French Art Gallery, New York 1988 Galerie la Découverte, Rabat 1987 Galerie de L'ONMT, Paris