Mahjoub Ben Bella (20 October 1946 â 11 June 2020) was an Algerian-born French painter and designer. He is well known for his murals and cobblestone designs for ParisâÂÂRoubaix.
After his education at the ÃÂcole des Beaux-Arts d'Oran, Ben Bella moved to France at the age of 19, in the Nord Department. He then continued his studies at the ÃÂcole des Beaux-Arts de Tourcoing, the ÃÂcole nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs, and the ÃÂcole nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. He began his career teaching at the ÃÂcole des Beaux-Arts de Cambrai.
In 1975, Ben Bella returned to Tourcoing and set up his permanent workshop, where he would spend the remainder of his career. His paintings were largely abstract and often used Arabic calligraphy. In 1986, he painted L'Envers du Nord using the roadway for ParisâÂÂRoubaix. The total length of road used for this painting was 12 kilometers.
In 2000, he painted 1800 ceramic tiles for the station Colbert on the Lille Metro in Tourcoing.
Mahjoub Ben Bella died on 11 June 2020 in Tourcoing at the age of 73 following a long illness.