Exposition du 26 October au 13 Décembre 2019.
Hassan Hajjaj
The Farid Belkahia Foundation, as part of its annual program granting carte blanche to a contemporary artist, is pleased to welcome this fall the multidisciplinary artist Hassan Hajjaj and invites him to invest the rooms of its Mathaf museum with its multiple works, made up of photographs but also derived objects, carpets, furniture and clothing, which are an integral part of his artistic universe.
Born in 1961 in Larache in Morocco and Londoner since 1973, Hassan Hajjaj has lived and worked since then between his native country and Great Britain.
Its migratory path and its cultural nomadism have a real impact on its multicultural inspiration. Thus, his photographs freely borrow from the African studios of yesteryear their aesthetic codes, from Pop art the use of visual elements of the consumer society, and from contemporary fashion photography its luxury standards.
Since 2006, Hassan Hajjaj has opened in the medina of Marrakech a sort of Factory called Riad Yima which serves as a workshop for creation, presentation and musical performances.
He became known for his portraits in bright colors, in front of colorful patterned backgrounds, framed in relief boxes made from Moroccan consumer objects, all forming a coherent and joyful artistic whole.
Hassan Hajjaj has established himself internationally through his unique style and his original artistic approach which consists in decompartmentalizing modes of expression, mixing artistic influences and creating bridges between cultures.
Biography
Born in Larache, Morocco in 1961, Hassan Hajjaj moved to London as a teenager.
In the 80s, he created R.A.P., his fashion brand. Upcycled and personalized creations initiate his artistic story, weaving indigenous and encountered influences.
Switching to photography, Hajjaj uses portraits to celebrate his friends and models, providing a scene documenting his surrounding cultures. Through his more recent video works, he has added movement to these still images.
In addition to the content medium of photography, his work of conception, direction and composition also takes shape in his site-specific installation “Le Salon” and his immersive exhibitions “Mi Casa Su Casa”.
Hassan became an officer of the Wissam Al Moukafaa Al Wataniya Order in 2016. His works are in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum in New York, United States; Newark Museum, New Jersey, United States; LACMA: Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, United States; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom; Farjam Collection, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; HERE: Institute of Islamic Cultures, Paris, France; Guggenheim, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E .; Kamel Lazaar Foundation, Tunisia; MAXXI: Museum of 21st Century Arts, Rome, Italy; MACAAL: Al Maaden Museum of Contemporary African Art, Marrakech, Morocco; NGV: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia and more.
The artist lives and works between London and Marrakech.
