Bio

Born in Damascus in 1951, Ali Mourabet has lived in Beirut with his family for the greater part of his life. An architect since 1976, he has a long-running passion for designing buildings, and as a professional artist since 1977, a love for depicting scenes from Lebanon, and this is reflected in much of his work.

Regarding both architecture and painting as forms of art, Mourabet is never without a pencil or a paintbrush in his hand and to this day continues to experiment with new processes and techniques, especially in more recent years, having freed up more time to focus on his fine art practice.

The consistent theme running through Mourabet’s captivating paintings is their extremely vibrant colour palette. With many of his works presenting simplistic geometric shapes and architectural forms and others depicting everyday life in his immediate surroundings, Mourabet is continuously seeking to explore different styles and techniques, while at the same time remaining faithful to the subjects closest to his heart.

Timothy Warrington of the International Confederation of Art Critics said of Ali’s work: “Ali Mourabet is a true artist, possessing a rare ability to stimulate viewers as he conveys artistic ideas that are communicated and encapsulated as a direct consequence of an inner journey that explores the very essence of beauty through shape, colour and the essential relationship between forms. The artist’s broad and intricate cultural foundations stemming from architecture are apparent by virtue of assertive use of line and visual experimentations of mathematics, as well as the curious philosophical connections to diverse dimensions of art history ranging as wide as the Metaphysics, Optical art, Futurism, De Stijl and perspective itself.”

In his later, more recent works, Mourabet strives to bring the same sense of peace and nostalgia to the viewer that he feels when he creates each piece.  His use of saturated colours, especially in his sun-drenched faces of buildings and inviting beach scenes, give an endearing feeling of positivity.

In addition to painting and architecture, Mourabet also worked as a caricaturist for a daily newspaper and two weekly magazines in Abu Dhabi from 1978 to 1980. Exhibitions of his work have been both at home in Lebanon, as well as in France, the UK and the United States, with several European shows planned for the future. Images of Mourabet’s paintings have been used on promotional material by the United Nations Unicef organization and the Lion’s Club for fundraising events, and his drawing of the College Hall (American University of Beirut) was sold to raise funds for its reconstruction in 1992.

Quote from Ali about how he’s found painting in the last year:

"Painting during the lockdown helped me greatly with being stuck at home and allowed me to spend months without leaving the house at all.  Thankfully I always buy more material than I need, so when everything was shut, I was glad to have had all the extra canvases and paint and brushes!  Painting brings me an indescribable joy so much so that I sleep very little each day, and hurry to paint from the early hours of the morning when it is very calm, and I can paint in peace before Beirut comes alive.  Painting is a blessing without which I don't know what I would have done to pass the time."

Where he’s exhibited:

Solo Exhibitions:

 1988                          Los Angeles, USA

1990                          Spring Gallery, Saida, Lebanon

1991                          AUB Alumni Club, Beirut, Lebanon

1991                          Arab Cultural Club, Saida, Lebanon

1992                          AUB Alumni Club, Beirut, Lebanon

1993                          Galerie Shammas, Paris, France         

Selected Group Exhibitions:

 1991                          Omar Al Mukhtar Center, Lebanon

1994                          Architects’ Syndicate, Lebanon

2019                          Brick Lane Gallery, London, UK

2019                          Brick Lane Gallery, London, UK

2019                          New Artist Fair, Truman Brewery, London, UK

2019                          Art Fair East, Sussex, UK

2021                          No Naked Walls Gallery, Surrey, UK

Other:

 1978-80                    In-house caricaturist in Abu Dhabi for a daily newspaper and two magazines

1990-91                    Painting selected by Unicef for use on promotional material for two consecutive years

1992                          Drawing of the College Hall, American University of Beirut, selected for use on promotional material and sold to raise funds for its reconstruction

1992                          Painting selected by the Lions’ Club to be used in promotional material for fundraising event

2000-15                   Break from painting to focus on architectural career