Hassan Hajjaj

Hassan Hajjaj (b. 1961, Larache, Morocco) creates vibrant, boldly patterned portraits of friends, colleagues, celebrities, and members of his community that express evolving notions of self and society in today's globalized, connected world. The artist captures his subjects in ad hoc studios set up on the street, further contributing to the works' international blend of music, fashion, and popular culture. Inspired by street style and hip hop, Hajjaj draws influence from African photographers including Sanlé Sory (b. 1943, Nianiagara, Burkina Faso), Samuel Fosso (b. 1962, Kumba, Cameroon), and Malick Sidibé (b. 1936, Soloba, Mali; d. 2016, Bamako, Mali). From these historically significant artists, Hajjaj absorbed the idea of studio portraiture as a malleable vehicle for identity definition. In his own works, he reshuffles cultural signifiers to portray a world in which individuals draw from diverse international sources to define who they are. The artist came of age in London in the 1980s and '90s, and his own contributions to the city's nightlife and street style are reflected in the cultural mission of his photographs. As the artist explains, "In the '80s, London was just starting to blend. We all came from different backgrounds. We had to create something to find our space." Hajjaj achieves this spirit of cultural comingling and co-creation in his images through blending, juxtaposing, and mirroring traditional Moroccan patterns with contemporary signifiers of global style and consumption.

Hajjaj has presented his work internationally in group and solo exhibitions at Barakat Contemporary, Seoul; Fotografiska, Stockholm; Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi; Somerset House, London; British Museum, London; and Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others. His work is held in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, and others.