We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Fabio Dourone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Fabio below.

Fabio , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

It’s difficult to choose just one project as the most significant because each one holds beautiful stories and special moments. But if I had to talk about a recent one with a story that truly left a mark, it would be this one.

It all started in 2020 with a simple comment on Instagram. Elodie, with whom I’ve worked my entire life, saw a photo and said: “I want to do something on that building.” The image in question was of La Pyramide in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire—an impressive Brutalist building designed by Rinaldo Olivieri. To give you an idea, it’s somewhat like the Eiffel Tower of Abidjan, but in a very deteriorated state. And so, with an impossible comment about an impossible project, it all began.

Months later, the person who had posted the photo replied and said, “Why not?” That’s when the process started. Throughout 2021, we brainstormed the idea, figuring out what we needed to make it a reality and how to fund it. By 2022, with everything practically set, we had defined the project: a major exhibition with large-scale installations and a giant mural on the 64-meter-high façade. A perfect project! All born from a simple Instagram comment.

But at the end of 2022, when everything was ready, we were told it was canceled. Then, in 2023, the project came back to life. We resumed the plans, the dates were set, the plane tickets were ready… and once again, cancellation. This time, half of the project: the exhibition and installations were dropped, but the mural remained. We decided to move forward with what we had and figure out the rest later.

In March 2023, we finally painted that enormous mural, which is now part of the city’s skyline. You can see it from afar, and it was a great satisfaction, but we were left with that emptiness of not having been able to do the exhibition. It was three years of work, and something was still missing.

And here’s where the incredible part comes in: a few months later, a gallery in Abidjan reached out to us. They told us that a collector, who saw the mural from his office every day, wanted to work with us. So, we returned to Abidjan, started collaborating with him, and from there, the opportunity to hold the exhibition with Galérie Studer emerged.

So, in 2024, we spent a lot of time in Africa developing this collaboration, and in February 2025, we finally managed to create an incredible exhibition, filled with installations and offering a fully immersive experience in the gallery.

In the end, what stays with me the most from all of this is the feeling that when a project is truly meant to happen, it happens. There may be obstacles, changes of plans, ups and downs… but if something is destined to occur, it finds its way. And the best part is that I feel this project isn’t over yet.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Fabio Dourone, and I am a Spanish visual artist currently living between Brussels and Paris. I have been working alongside Elodie Arshak since 2012, when we began our international career, traveling and living in different countries. Since then, we have collaborated with contemporary art galleries worldwide. To date, we have created 109 large-scale murals in 22 countries. In 2018, we established our bases in Brussels and Paris.

My work has a strong philosophical component and is deeply connected to human emotions, with a clear surrealist influence. Through my art, I seek to inspire reflections on the duality of life and our connection with the world.

My travels and the relationships I have built internationally have given me a broad perspective on humanity and its diversity. If there is one defining aspect of my work, it is my ability to interpret human emotions and behaviors within the context of contemporary society.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I believe resilience is a fundamental part of any artist’s career. It can manifest at different times and for various reasons—creative blocks, financial difficulties, personal situations… But I also believe that resilience is something we somehow leave in our works.

Most artists have a special sensitivity to the world, which makes everything affect us more intensely. Perhaps that’s why our personalities are often somewhat uncommon.

A moment of resilience that we all experienced was during the COVID era. When we realized what was coming, we decided to double our efforts, working twice as much as usual because we knew that more than half of our projects would be canceled. In the end, it wasn’t a total disaster, but that decision allowed us to get through those two years.

I feel that 2025 is also a key moment in that sense.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

If I had to make a list, at number one, I would put the fact that I can dedicate myself to something I truly love—something I enjoy and that fulfills me every single day. It’s not just about painting or creating, but about that feeling of doing something meaningful, something that motivates me to keep exploring and evolving constantly. It’s a privilege to wake up each day knowing that what I do is not just a job but a passion that drives me forward.

At number two, I would highlight the experiences and moments this profession has given me. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to meet very different people, each with unique ways of seeing the world. Every encounter, every conversation, and every place I have visited has taught me something valuable. It’s incredible how art becomes a bridge to connect with diverse cultures, stories, and perspectives. These interactions are an essential part of my personal and artistic growth.

And at number three, I would include something that, to me, is truly special: seeing someone—completely unrelated to me—enjoy something I’ve created just as much or even more than I do. That connection between the artwork and the person who observes it, experiences it, and feels it in their own way is something magical. It’s in that moment that you realize art transcends—it’s no longer just yours; it becomes part of someone else’s experience. And that, without a doubt, is one of the greatest satisfactions there is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dourone.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dourone/
• Linkedin: https://fr.linkedin.com/in/elodie-arshak-7b017b71?trk=public_post_follow-view-profile

Image Credits

DouroneStudio