Hassan Hajjaj's Moroccan Biker Barbie Dolls
Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj reinterprets his previous 'Kesh Angels' with photographs featuring biker barbie dolls for a twist.
We've previously featured Hassan Hajjaj for his Kesh Angels project and collaboration with Amine Bendriouich, which play off contrasts between the multiple cultures the Moroccan-born/London-based artist is surrounded by. Hajjaj's recent work follows up on his Kesh Angels series, a tribute to the biker culture of young women in Morocco peppered with elements of Western consumerism. This time around, the pictures feature Barbie dolls wearing traditional outfits and high-end labels like Louis Vuitton. The underlining message in question is clear: what's the impact of Western culture in Africa with the thousands of mainstream Western brands settling and promoting their products across the continent? What's the effect when international labels don't give any interest to national culture and won't even bother to adapt their commercials to the country they're targeting? What happens when the youth lose interest in their national and traditional culture, opting instead for these global brands? We'd love to hear your opinion. If you want to talk about it, tweet @okayafrica with #hassanhajjaj.
[H/T One Nigerian Boy]
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