Behind a penguin bearing balloons to your party or a daisy rollerblading under a giant star, there is a dream. Of things being better, of welcoming our children in a world that is more beautiful, sweeter, simply happy. Meet Nour, also known as Mama Nouii, and her whimsy illustrations that make our homes a better place.
Nour started drawing when she was a child, she dabbled with everything, from watercolor, to acrylics, took Fabriano classes, and went to art centers across the country. She grew up, had her first baby, who called her Mama Nouii, and when she was pregnant with her second child, she decided to take a break. From the fashion brand she had, that, with the hassle of the crisis in Lebanon was taking up her time in logistics, between sourcing, stock management, little time was left for creativity. Also, from her job in social media. Her art lay all across their home, and she decided to focus on it, practicing her illustrations, nailing the anatomy of a character, also taking classes with her ‘very talented, multiskilled’ teacher Nabil Makarem. While she was pregnant, browsing the universe of baby nurseries, ‘the creative patterns and illustrations’ she found her peace. And amidst the war in Lebanon at the end of last year, creating whimsical drawings and characters filled with joy and candor became her escape. With her brand Mama Nouii, she opened up that escape to us, by creating sweet wallpapers, wall stickers and prints to bring these tiny joyful characters to the rooms and universe of little kids.
Her deepest dream is creating children’s book, making her characters come to life, in stories that will inspire and uplift the new generations, give them reasons to hope. She launched her business in December and already orders have flocked, for her sweet colored prints infused with smiley faces and inspiring messages, wall stickers starring friendly foxes and giraffes, vibrant stars or flowers, and wildlife wallpapers where mini lions can chill under a lush tree. Indulge in her catalogue of ready-made universes, or create with her your child’s custom unique space. Nour never stops fine-tuning her skills and every challenge is an opportunity for her to learn something new. She was surprised to already be approached by authors for their children’s books and relished in the opportunity to start making that dream come true. As much as she loves her paint brushes, she keeps her Ipad close, finding the tools most similar to a spontaneous ‘hand drawn’ effect on her Procreate app to maintain her signature organic, ‘scruffy not messy’ style that brings little bits of wonders to little ones’ surroundings. In our world that is in constant chaos, the sweet characters of Mama Nouii, a tiny koala telling us to ‘dream big’, a bird delighting in an ice cream cone, or an elephant making friends with a wolf, are a welcome dose of happiness.
