Nabil El Makhloufi was born in 1973 in Fez, Morocco.
A graduate of the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig, associated with the Neue Leipziger Schule, he has developed a pictorial practice in which figuration remains central, at the intersection of realism and symbolism.
In his paintings, time and space are fragmented. His figures detach themselves from the group and withdraw into isolation, revealing an expressiveness marked by doubt and estrangement. Through these characters, the artist explores questions of belonging, collective identity and the place of the individual within the group.
His own experience of living abroad also informs his work. The question of migration that he addresses is not limited to contemporary displacement, but is rooted in older histories spanning several generations.
His works are held in several public and private collections, including the Sharjah Art Foundation (United Arab Emirates), the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (Morocco), the Norval Foundation (South Africa), Société Générale (France), Saham Bank (Morocco) and the B.A.T Campus Galerie Collection (Germany).
Nabil El Makhloufi lives and works in Leipzig, Germany.