Mahi Binebine and Miguel Galanda

MAHI BINEBINE (Morocco, 1959) AND MIGUEL GALANDA (Zaragoza, 1955)
Untitled, 2001.
Mixed media on panel.
Signed and dated on the reverse.
Measurements: 48 x 57 cm; 52 x 61 cm (frame).
Although they come from diverse cultural traditions, Binebine and Galanda share an artistic practice that prioritizes expressive intensity and exploration of visual language, establishing dialogues between memory, experience, and form. Their exhibition histories, which span museums, galleries, and institutional spaces in Europe, North Africa, and the Americas, demonstrate both artists’ international reach and the ability of their works to engage with global aesthetic debates without losing the distinctiveness of their cultural roots.
Mahi Binebine (Morocco, 1959; resides in Paris) and Miguel Galanda (Zaragoza, 1955) are two leading figures in contemporary visual art who, drawing from distinct geographic and cultural contexts, have developed careers characterized by a strong aesthetic coherence and a sustained presence on the international exhibition circuit.
Initially trained as a mathematician before devoting himself fully to the visual arts, Binebine has cultivated a body of work in painting and sculpture marked by an exploration of the human condition, social tensions, and the collective memory of the Maghreb. His artistic language is recognized by his use of intense color palettes, the stylization of figures, and an expressionist quality that accentuates the psychological dimension of his compositions. Since the late 1980s, his work has been exhibited in Europe, the Arab world, and the United States, with notable exhibitions in cities such as Paris, Marrakesh, London, and New York. Furthermore, his participation in various biennials and institutional exhibitions has cemented his position as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Moroccan art.
For his part, Miguel Galanda, a Spanish artist born in Zaragoza in 1955, has developed a body of work centered on painting and graphic art, characterized by formal exploration, the refinement of visual structures, and a constant interest in the relationship between space, color, and gesture. His work lies at the intersection of lyrical abstraction and the poetics of the sign, resulting in pieces in which the energy of the stroke coexists with balanced compositions rich in symbolism. Galanda has exhibited regularly in galleries and art centers in Spain and various European countries, and his work has been included in group exhibitions dedicated to the renewal of Spanish abstraction in the late 20th century.