“Rider” (2010). The New Yorker. Photograph: Hassan Hajjaj
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’KESH ANGELS
* “Hassan Hajjaj’s portraits draw on the work of African luminaries such as Malik Sidibe and Seydou Keita, but they also retain a modern feel, juxtaposing traditional Muslim clothing — hijabs, niqabs, babouches, and abayas — with Moroccan biker culture and famous Western brands, like Nike and Louis Vuitton… Hajjaj’s first solo show in New York opens at the Taymour Grahne gallery, in Tribeca, and is on view through March 8th.” *
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The New Yorker, Photo Booth, posted by Jessie Wender (January 28, 2014) — This week’s issue of the magazine includes photographs from Hassan Hajjaj’s series “ ’Kesh Angels.” Hajjaj, who is fifty-three, was born in Morocco and moved to London in his teens, where he worked as a d.j., a promoter, a stylist, and a designer.
“Nikee Rider” (2007). The New Yorker, Photograph: Hassan Hajjaj
Before taking up photography, in his late twenties, Hajjaj returned to Morocco to work as an assistant on a photography shoot for a fashion magazine.
“Brown Eyes” (2010). The New Yorker, Photograph: Hassan Hajjaj
He says that he was frustrated to see his native country used only as a backdrop for Western women and clothing, and that the experience pushed him to make Morocco a prominent subject in his own work.
“Khadija” (2010). The New Yorker, Photograph: Hassan Hajjaj
Hajjaj’s portraits draw on the work of African luminaries such as Malik Sidibe and Seydou Keita, but they also retain a modern feel, juxtaposing traditional Muslim clothing — hijabs, niqabs, babouches, and abayas — with Moroccan biker culture and famous Western brands, like Nike and Louis Vuitton.
“Kesh Angels” (2010). The New Yorker, Photograph: Hassan Hajjaj
Hajjaj uses his friends as models, and he designs their outfits with traditional prints and counterfeit brand-name fabrics from markets in London and Marrakesh.
“Kick Start” (2006). The New Yorker, Photograph: Hassan Hajjaj
He also builds the frames for these pictures from found objects: Legos with Arabic lettering, cans of Fanta, boxes of chicken stock.
“Gang of Marrakesh” (2000). The New Yorker, Photograph: Hassan Hajjaj
Hajjaj’s first solo show in New York opens tonight, at the Taymour Grahne gallery, in Tribeca, and is on view through March 8th.
“M.” (2010). The New Yorker, Photograph: Hassan Hajjaj
All photographs courtesy Taymour Grahne gallery, New York, and Rose Issa Projects, London.
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