Route.

MIHOUB’S LIFE STORY

“The child I was is very proud of the child I have become.”

Youth.

I was born on August 9, 1976, in Oran, Algeria. When I was a month old, my mother and I crossed the Mediterranean to join my father in the south of France.
I grew up in Morières-lès-Avignon, in a council flat in the town centre, next to the church and the main square. On one of the buildings, there was a large mural, a big green tractor that represented the agricultural values of our little Provencal village.
Opposite our building, there was a painter, Monsieur Ferréol, whose wife was a friend of my mother. An adopted aunt, who gave us a beautiful watercolor…

Like all little kids, I drew all over the walls of my room and when I was about ten, my cousin, who is still my idol and a great draughtsman, explained to me that what I was doing was not drawing but doodling…
I grew up outside, under the sun and the plane trees, playing football in the market square or pétanque in front of the station. Life was sweet and colourful, we ran in the streets, we had shortcuts and hiding places, we ate organic food every day and we flirted with at the fête votive or the firemen’s ball.
In fact, my friends and I did everything except art!

As I grew up, I realised that I had hidden a lot of things in my life, starting with my first name.
And it was at the age of 25, at the end of the world, that I discovered who I really was.

Discoveries.

My artistic journey began in 2001 in San Francisco.
In search of new adventures and inspired by Paulo Coehlo ‘s “The Alchemist”, I flew to the United States with 140 dollars in my pocket. I stayed there for five years.
Everything was majestic: the trees, the Pacific Ocean, the avenues, the hamburgers, the shopping centres, the hippies, the Golden Gate Park… I got a big slap in the face and it completely woke me up…

San Francisco opened my eyes and my heart, and my perception of the world did a 360° turn.
My Matrix exploded and I shouted “My name is Mihoub! I was finally free to be an artist.

I started by writing poems and taking part in author readings (today’s slam), in one of the bookshops in North Beach, the City Light Book Store.
I was reliving my first film, ‘ Dead Poets Society ‘.

I had the fibre, but not yet the right tool…
By dint of wandering the streets in search of my destiny… I found the art galleries of Down Town, the surrealist movement and post-war expressionist abstraction.
As a symbol, my first drawings were made on the main square in downtown San Francisco, Union Square. And my first work is an interpretation of a young Tibetan monk photographed by Steve McCurry.

I started out with a big book on Picasso, I devouredAndré Breton ‘ s two manifestos of Surrealism and I began to take a very serious interest in the work of Jackson Pollock.
This incredible and very late discovery laid the foundations of my art…
In Joan of Arc mode, with unshakeable wonder and faith, I ‘ ve set myself a single rule : ” Never stop believing “.

Collaboration.

When I returned to Europe in 2006, I went through London, Barcelona and finally Marseille. In 2011, I was working as a salesperson and selling switchboards…but I was still passionate and active in my painting. In 2014, when I told my story to the marketing manager of the paint manufacturer Pébéo, she was immediately seduced by the complementarity of my artistic background and my linguistic and commercial skills. I started my collaboration with Pébéo with “Live Painting” performances in France and then all over the world. Then, with the marketing, sales and laboratory departments, I participated in the design of innovative products, while continuing to develop unique techniques in my workshop. This partnership was my first real springboard, it allowed me to professionalize myself and support my dream as an artist. By handling all these products over the years, the alchemist in me transformed lead into gold… PBO is the chemical formula that gave its name to this French company, which has been in existence for over 100 years and is still run by the same family.

Ascent.

In 2018, 17 years after my first pencil stroke, I’m back at it again, with the same style, new techniques and 120% more confidence!
It was in the aisles of the Parc Jourdan, in Aix en Provence, at the Sm’Art contemporary art fair, that I officially sold my first works.

At the end of 2019, the Artableaux gallery, based in Isle sur la Sorgue, spotted me and bought me a first painting, “Black”. In the midst of the Covid crisis and for two years, the gallery sold my work, supported my valuation and created value.
I produced more than 80 paintings over this period.

In 2022, my work is selected for the first time by the prestigious contemporary art fair Lille Art Up. I am starting to open up to other partner galleries and my work continues to attract many collectors.

Recognition.

In 2023, I joined the Bel-Air Fine Art group, in their Honfleur gallery.
Since then, my work has won over collectors and the teams of François Chabanian (CEO & artistic director of the group). artistic director of the group).
In less than two years my work in galleries in Geneva, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Annecy, Crans-Montana and Honfleur, Marseille, Aix- en- Provence, Annecy, Crans-Montana and Honfleur.
The story is ongoing, my work continues to evolve and it ‘s still in full swing!

To find out more about my artistic approach and my influences, I invite you to visit my world.
To find out what ‘s new with me, click here!