Ramzi Mallat

Ramzi Mallat (b. 1996) is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist who was born in Lebanon and is today based between London and Beirut. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Lancaster University and a Master’s in Sculpture from the Royal College of Art, London. 

A fascination with cultural ancestry and life experienced as part of the diasporic community are among the factors that inspire Mallat in his work, which includes undertaking in-depth, on-the-ground research and embarking on journeys of discovery, rediscovery and self-discovery. 

Juxtaposing the past and present, while also building bridges into the future, he is keen for his work to reflect both the contemporary social narrative and form part of cultural legacies for the generations to come. 

According to his Artist Statement: “Ramzi Mallat’s artistic practice epitomizes the complexities of cultural identity within our ever-globalized society. Drawing from a rich tapestry of theological and folkloric knowledge from the Levant region, his work challenges the conventional notion of tradition as a civilizational legacy, revealing a narrative constructed by a society’s cultural vanguard in the course of a struggle.” 

Some of Mallat’s landmark works illustrating many of these ideas include his ceramic coffee cup ‘wall’ installation, titled ‘We Are What We Know’ (2018). As part of the project, Mallat went out onto Lebanon’s streets and chatted to people about their everyday life, while offering them coffee from a set of identical cups which he then took back to the studio and assembled into a ‘wall’.

Topical issues have also provided the inspiration for Mallat’s work, including ‘Not your Martyr’ (2023), a project that was created following the Beirut Port Explosion of 2020 consisting of 270 pieces of glass - mirroring the number of people who died in the tragedy. Conflicting messages conveyed by cultural symbols are another common thread throughout Mallat’s art, including the evil eye, which has long fascinated him, in the way it is seen as a protective talisman but also has associations with violence. These seemingly irreconcilable viewpoints are explored in works that include a major series of wax drawings, titled ‘Vista Visions’ (2024), inspired by Lebanon’s mountains and adorned with the instantly recognisable evil eye motifs in a hallmark shade of bright blue. 

The evil eye and its conflicting representations also provided the inspiration for a collection of sculptures featured in a duo/solo exhibition with fellow artist Sara Chaar, titled ‘Emotional Territories’ and held at Marie Jose Gallery, London, in 2024. Cast in bronze and then patinated, Mallat’s ‘Constellations of Protection’ series is modelled after ancient stone artefacts discovered in the Eye Temple Complex of Tell Brak in Syria.

Mallat’s other solo shows include, most recently: ‘Fault Lines’, curated by Kirsty Flockhart, P21 Gallery, London (2023); ‘Means To No End’, Danuser and Ramirez Gallery, London (2022); ‘Unearthed’, Cervantes Institute, Beirut (2018); and ‘Roots’, UNESCO Palace, Beirut (2017).

Mallat has also participated in several group exhibitions, most recently events at: ‘Residency Competition - Shortlisted Artists’, The Muse Gallery, London (2024); RCA Show 2023, Truman Brewery, London (2023); ‘SupaStore Shut Up’, Turf Projects, London (2023); ‘A Murmuration’, Candid Arts Trust, London (2022); ‘Lapped Seams and Silver Linings’, Standpoint Gallery, London (2022); ‘We Won’t Stop Showing’, SET Woolwich, London (2022); ‘Work In Progress’, Royal College of Art, London (2022); ‘Stronger Roots for Stronger Alliances’ (part of the Arab Foundation for Equality’s NEDWA conference), The Landmark, Nicosia, Cyprus (2019); ‘53 More Things to do in Zero Gravity’, Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster (2017); and ‘Room With A View’, Storey Gallery, Lancaster (2017).

Mallat has also enjoyed considerable success in his film work, with his short film titled ‘Sobhiye’ (2022) having received awards at several international film festivals.

In 2016, Mallat was awarded an artist’s residency at the IMOS Foundation, an arts charity based in the UK, where he is now a Trustee. He was shortlisted by Bloomberg New Contemporaries in 2024 and selected as part of the ‘30 Under 30’ List honourees by Forbes Middle East in 2022.