Nabil El Makhloufi was born in 1973 in Fez, Morocco and now lives and works in Leipzig, Germany. He melds his Moroccan background with his experiences living and working in Europe, providing a glimpse into the life of those in permanent states of cultural in-betweenness.
A surrealist, symbolist, and drawing master, he combines planes of colors with airy brushwork, giving his paintings a strikingly dream-like property. He captures deeply meditative moments of seen and lived realities with the use of the figure as a representation of quiet alienation and nostalgia.
El Makhloufi attended the Art School of Rabat, and after he studied at the School of Visual Arts of Leipzig. His works have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in Frankfurt (2015-2017), Casablanca (2013-2016-2019), London (2016), Dakar (2010) and Beirut (2008). He is also the recipient of the 2014 Cité des Arts award, Paris (France). His works are held, among others, by the BAT Campus Galerie Collection (Germany), the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (Morocco), and by the Banque Populaire (Morocco). Nabil El Makhloufi currently lives and works in Leipzig, Germany.