Hassan Hajjaj

Hassan Hajjaj (b. 1961, Larache, Morocco) is a Moroccan artist based in London and Marrakech. A self-taught photographer, he makes portraits in temporary street studios hung with North African textiles, with sitters dressed in clothing he designs. He sets the prints in custom frames filled with consumer products bearing Arabic labels, such as soft-drink cans and tins of tea and tomato sauce, arranged in patterns that echo zellige tilework.

The portraits combine Moroccan heritage with pop culture, mixing luxury labels with knock-offs. His series include Kesh Angels (2010), portraits of veiled women on motorbikes, and My Rock Stars.

His solo exhibition Hassan Hajjaj: La Caravane was held at Somerset House, London, from 2017 to 2018. His work was shown at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, in 2019, and at the British Museum and the Institut du Monde Arabe. He won the Sovereign Middle East and African Art Prize in 2011 and was shortlisted for the Jameel Prize at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2009. His work is held by the Brooklyn Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL), the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Victoria and Albert Museum. He is represented by Yossi Milo, New York.