The idea of a motorcycle gang brings many things to mind, like leather, tattoos, and a "don’t eff with me" attitude. But, in a city where bikes are the main mode of transportation, what happens when the leather is replaced with women in camo abayas and Louis Vuitton slippers? London-based artist Hassan Hajjaj explores this identity shift in his solo exhibition, ‘Kesh Angels, on view at the Taymour Grahne Gallery in New York City through March 8. The photos were inspired by the lack of authenticity in a photo-shoot he did in Morocco during the '90s. "I realized everything—all the models, the photographer, the clothes—were from the west and Morocco was simply the backdrop. From then I said it'd be great to present my people in their environment in their kind of way of dressing, and play with it on a fashion level," he told Vice. Hajjaj modernizes traditional garb with polka-dot prints and high-fashion logos in his new series of photos that are reminiscent of an editorial spread. He juxtaposes these fierce women (who work as henna tattoo artists in Marrakesh) with frames of consumer products, linking the East and West while toying with different ways the Arabic culture is perceived.
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
Hassan Hajjaj; Courtesy Taymour Grahne Gallery, NY
