Hassan Hajjaj's Eclectic Portraits Capture Moments of Cultural Connection

Hannah Traore Gallery is lifting the veil on a new solo showcase by Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj. Through a collection of portraits taken over the course of two decades, Hajjaj presents a visual dialogue between North African heritage and Western iconography, breathing vibrant life into every aspect of his work – from the subjects’ sartorial style down to the colorful, multi-patterned frames.

People of My Time reflects the ethos of the artist’s practice. Hajjaj weaves traditional Moroccan traditions with British pop iconography, where the faces of Imaan Hammam, Che Lovelace, Honey Dijon, Sarah Perles and Afrikan Boy serve as his creative muses.

Surrounding each portrait, frames created from repurposed floor mates, conjures the bustle of Medina, adorning the figures with a tactile reality. “Instead of a static encounter, each photograph-and-frame ensemble is a nod to the fluidity of cultural identity, and a bid to embrace the improvised harmonies that give life its flavor,” the gallery wrote.

Drawing on his Larache-London upbringing, the artist channels a feeling of ‘Otherness’ into his distinct, artistic approach to difference. “This exhibition is an opportunity to connect people across places and generations, a peep through the keyhole to another world,” he said in a recent statement.

Alongside the photographic display, the artist also welcomes visitors into an onsite recreation of  “Jajjah”, his Marrakesh tearoom – “an extension of Hajjaj’s colorful and familial universe.”

People of My Time opens today, February 13, and will remain on view at the gallery through March 29, 2025.

Hannah Traore Gallery
150 Orchard St,
New York, NY 10002