Hajjaj creates works that start conversations about gender, politics, and the influence of consumerism. His first body of work focused on Arabic products, combining them in his images with Western brands like Fanta, Coca Cola, Louis Vuitton and Nike. “It was about showing graphics from the Arab world that I got influenced by, graffiti artists, graphic designers,” he says. “In Arab countries there’s going to be brands from the West that are written in Arabic, but you would immediately recognize if it’s Coca Cola or Pepsi. So I played on this to take people on a journey to local products.”

Hajjaj's subjects never lose their sense of agency and singularity, despite the overwhelming presence of recognizable brands. Often wearing djellabas and caftans covered in counterfeit designer logos – and framed in a mosaic of everyday branded products – their attitude and fashions are at once old and new, African and Arabic, disguised and unforgettable. “They represent great talent, they exude style, they have something rare, individual and special about them - it’s in their blood and is enmeshed in their DNA,” Hajjaj explains.

Born in 1961 in Larache, Morocco, Hassan Hajjaj moved to London with his family when he was 13. Leaving school at 15, he started organizing underground parties and launching a fashion label before moving into styling and video production. He turned his attention to photography, fully embracing the medium upon rediscovering Morocco through his camera lens in the 1990s. Today, his installations that have popped up at galleries and festivals worldwide, help to bring all of his worlds together into interactive social spaces. His works have also been acquired by several museums and some private collections.