Andy Warhol's meets eye-popping studio photography and a playful profile Marrakesh's biker chicks in the photographic series 'Kesh Angels by Hassan Hajjaj.
Ever since I first came across British-Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj's photography exhibition at famed contemporary middle eastern artist gallery Rose Issa, I've been charmed by his kitchy layering of pop-art, complex urban identities, ironic post-orientalism, global consumerism, and his celebration of the biker culture unique to Marrakesh.
Marrakesh's flat oasis landscape is the ideal terrain for bikes, motorcycles and scooters, and the swarms of people --men, women and children of all ages-- is one of the first things you notice in Marrakesh. The preponderance of female riders is particularly noticeable compared to other Moroccan cities, where although many women have cars and bikes to get around, they lack the numbers and the eye-catching factor of brightly-dressed "mrrakchias" cruising the streets in the open air. This sub-culture* evidences a greater freedom of movement and independence for women not really found in other Moroccan cities, in my opinion. It also jives cooly with the city's free-wheeling and laid-back atmosphere.
In Hajjaj's series of photos, he combines his previous work in fashion and design (he designed the retro-kooky Moroccan-themed bar Andy Wahloo in Paris, for example) with elements from his multiplicity of cultures.
Kelly Carmichael sums it up well in her excellent review of the artist's work for Contemporary Practices magazine:
A few more quotes from Carmichael's review:
*(Sociology students, here's a thesis waiting for you.)
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| The dayglo cover of the latest Saudi Aramco World Magazine's cover story, "Mid East Cool" about contemporary art from the MENA region, featuring a Hassan Hajjaj photograph. |
In Hajjaj's series of photos, he combines his previous work in fashion and design (he designed the retro-kooky Moroccan-themed bar Andy Wahloo in Paris, for example) with elements from his multiplicity of cultures.
Kelly Carmichael sums it up well in her excellent review of the artist's work for Contemporary Practices magazine:
"With a nod to both African studio photography, Arabic film posters of his childhood and the iconic look of international fashion magazines, the photographs of both bodies of work are carefully stage-directed by the Hajjaj. Poses, costumes, props and backdrops form mini sets upon which theatrical narratives can be played out around the iconography of East meets West and contemporary culture and consumerism."
"The urban street aesthetic and contemporary textiles teasingly subvert traditional attire and rework tired clichés, becoming a theatrical device for Hajjaj to cast a flirtatious glance at his audience." "Addressing the politically charged symbol of the veil, Hajjaj playfully questions our perception of and obsession with stereotypes."
Cheeky.
