Gabriel Mrabi: Melancholy and Poetry
Gabriel Mrabi, a Paris-based photographer and director, skillfully reveals the delicate boundary between childhood and adulthood, capturing the sensitivity and vulnerability of adolescence with a unique vision. His images, powerful and filled with emotion, immerse viewers in a cinematic world inspired by Hitchcock and Buñuel, where his models, transformed into fictional characters, seem as if they’ve stepped out of a film.
Known for his visual dramaturgy, Mrabi’s work stands out with intense lighting and a preference for black and white, occasionally punctuated by touches of color, which enhance the poetic and melancholic ambiance of each shot. His contemporary approach delves into themes of urbanity, human nature, and modern isolation, drawing viewers in with soft tones and suspended moments. Through intimate portraits, urban landscapes, and everyday scenes, he explores the relationship between individuals and their surroundings, revealing the hidden beauty of details and the poetry of fleeting moments.
With his work displayed in international exhibitions and publications, Gabriel Mrabi captivates through his ability to capture the universality of human emotions while asserting a deeply personal style.
Instagram: @gabrielmrabi
Your first photographic spark?
Gabriel Mrabi: My leather Blackberry Bold, received when I was 15.
An image maker who inspires you?
Gabriel Mrabi: Michael Jackson.
An image you wish you had taken?
Gabriel Mrabi: The portrait of Dalí before he died, by Helmut Newton (it was commissioned by the New York Times).
The one that moved you the most?
Gabriel Mrabi: A photo of me in my mother’s arms when I was a baby. She kept it beside her bed.
The one that made you angry?
Gabriel Mrabi: The portrait of my grandmother whom I never met.
A key image in your personal pantheon?
Gabriel Mrabi: Michael Jackson and his chimpanzee.
A photographic memory from your childhood?
Gabriel Mrabi: My uncle’s collection of homoerotic images.
The image that haunts you?
Gabriel Mrabi: Any portrait of Dolly Parton.
With no budget limit, what work would you dream of acquiring?
Gabriel Mrabi: The Christ by Salvador Dalí.
In your view, what is essential to be a good photographer?
Gabriel Mrabi: Common sense and obsession.
The secret to the perfect image, if it exists?
Gabriel Mrabi: Common sense and wisdom before clicking.
Who would you like to photograph?
Gabriel Mrabi: Several people: Shirley McLaine today, a family portrait of the Kardashians in 20 years, and Tilda Swinton in 30 years.
An indispensable photo book?
Gabriel Mrabi: Sex, by Madonna & Steven Meisel.
Your childhood camera?
Gabriel Mrabi: I didn’t have one.
The one you use today?
Gabriel Mrabi: Trade secret!
Your favorite indulgence?
Gabriel Mrabi: Buñuel’s films.
The best way for you to disconnect?
Gabriel Mrabi: Buñuel’s films.
What is your relationship with the image?
Gabriel Mrabi: A sensitive blank page, light, contrast – an image.
Your greatest quality?
Gabriel Mrabi: My hyperactivity.
Your latest whim?
Gabriel Mrabi: Giving my ex AirPods.
An image to illustrate a new banknote?
Gabriel Mrabi: Melania Trump holding a dollar.
The job you would never want to do?
Gabriel Mrabi: Photographer’s agent.
Differences between photography and art photography?
Gabriel Mrabi: In my opinion, none.
The city, country, or culture you dream of exploring?
Gabriel Mrabi: India in depth.
A place you never tire of?
Gabriel Mrabi: My childhood beach in Marbella.
Your biggest regret?
Gabriel Mrabi: I have none.
When it comes to social media, are you more Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Snapchat, and why?
Gabriel Mrabi: Team Instagram always.
Color or black and white?
Gabriel Mrabi: Black and white with a bit of color.
Daylight or artificial light?
Gabriel Mrabi: That’s like asking me, artificial orange juice or freshly squeezed?
What’s the most photogenic city, in your opinion?
Gabriel Mrabi: London.
If God existed, would you ask him to pose for you, or would you take a selfie with him?
Gabriel Mrabi: I’d ask him to pose for me.
If I could organize your ideal dinner, who would be at the table?
Gabriel Mrabi: Hitchcock, Kubrick, Dalí, Buñuel, Woody Allen, Helmut Newton, Marlene Dietrich, Gaspar Noé, my friend Thaïs Bacquerot, García Lorca, Freud, Marquis de Sade, Wagner, and myself, of course!
An image that represents the current state of the world for you?
Gabriel Mrabi: Frank Ocean’s album cover, photographed by Wolfgang Tillmans.
What’s missing in today’s world?
Gabriel Mrabi: Empathy and taste.
If you had to start all over?
Gabriel Mrabi: Never in a million years.
Final word?
Gabriel Mrabi: Alea Jacta Est.
