Mariane Ibrahim

Mariane Ibrahim-Lenhardt is a Somali-French art dealer based in Chicago, Illinois. She runs the eponymous Mariane Ibrahim Gallery.

Early life and career

Mariane Ibrahim Abdi was born in Nouméa, New Caledonia and grew up in Somaliland and France. She studied advertising in London and worked in marketing in the United Kingdom. In the early 2000s, a trip to Paris started her interest in contemporary African art after she saw a photograph by Seydou Keïta being sold.

Controversy

In 2018, Ibrahim supported artist Lina Iris Viktor in a lawsuit against rapper Kendrick Lamar and R&B star SZA over allegations that a music video for their song “All the Stars” — featured on the soundtrack to the movie Black Panther — drew from Viktor’s work without permission. The parties later agreed to settle on terms that could not be discussed as part of the agreement, though not before 10 months of high-profile media attention was paid to issues surrounding artists’ rights.

Personal life

Ibrahim is married to Pierre Lenhardt. She is Muslim.