Moroccan-born artist, Hassan Hajjaj is perhaps best known for his idiosyncratic brand of post- pop portrait photography. Heavily influenced by London's club, hip hop and reggae culture as well as by his North African heritage, Hajjaj is a self-taught and incredibly versatile artist whose oeuvre to date is instantly recognisable and yet amazingly diverse.

 

Hajjaj's increasingly international reputation has led to his inclusion in numerous prominent exhibitions including 'Islamic Art Now' at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as well as his nomination for the Victoria and Albert Museum's prestigious Jameel Prize in 2009. Hajjaj's portraits often feature provocatively dressed girls in patterned veils and djellabahs , daring and defiant, posing on motorbikes in the streets of Marrakech's Medina. Hajjaj's girl gang subvert preconceived notions of the socio-cultural role of women in Arabic society and, framed by found cans, exploit and thus comment on the ubiquity of big brands, the effects of global capitalism.

 

Hajjaj's film piece, ‘Untitled’ (2012) will be presented alongside a live portrait inspired by one of the artist's signature prints. The subject, who will pose throughout the evening in a Hajjaj constructed environment, will also wear clothes designed by the artist.

 

Hassan Hajjaj is represented by The Third Line Gallery, Dubai, Taymour Grahne Gallery in New York and Gusford Gallery in Los Angeles.