Mari Alis

Drawing in graphite is not just technique — it’s silence, restraint, and attention. I work in black and white because it removes noise and brings focus to the emotional core.

I’m drawn to faces that don’t pose. I search for quiet tension, inner contradiction, or stillness — moments where something has just passed or is about to begin.

Working from photographs allows me to slow things down and observe longer than reality would allow. Each portrait becomes a form of quiet insistence — that presence matters, that intimacy is enough.

My process is meticulous but minimal. I try not to decorate. The goal is to say more by doing less.

KU Leuven, Belgium
Bachelor’s Degree in Art History and Cultural Studies

Université Paris Nanterre – Erasmus Semester
Faculty of Philosophy and Aesthetics -
research in visual perception and the language of images

Selected Exhibitions
2024 — “Monochrome”, The Holy Art Gallery, London (Virtual Group Exhibition)
2024 — “Paper & Soul”, The Holy Art, Amsterdam (International Group Show)
2024 — Gallerium Art Prize, Online Exhibition (Selected Artist)
2023 — Clio Art Fair, Rome (Independent Artist Program)
2023 — “Fragments”, Art Number 23, Athens (Group Exhibition)
2023 — “Silent Lines”, Artsteps Virtual Gallery (Solo Online Showcase)
2022 — Arte Laguna Prize, Venice (Digital Catalog Selection)
2021 — Drawing Days, BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels (Open Participation Event)
2020 — Big Draw Festival, Berlin (Participating Artist)
2019 — Artrooms Fair, London (Artist Room Installation)