Post 9. Hassan Hajjaj.

I met Hassan when I was 15 years old on a flight from Tanger to London, I remember seeing him in the airport with his long dreads and wondering if he was Moroccan, hoping that he was Moroccan. Those were the days that Bob Marley adorned my bedroom walls, now he just adorns my heart. Little did i know (coming from the north) that there were lots of Bob's down south, in fact Essaouira pays tribute to Rasta religion in every way, can't cross a square or turn a corner without hearing/feeling/seeing something Hendrick or Marley.

So we board the flight and guess who i'm sitting next to?... I meet Mr Hajjaj. At the age of 15 I was quite dubious of strangers, no matter how intrigued I was. He was Lovely. He pulled books/postcards and photos from his bag to show me and I remember being so proud and impressed by his work that I hoped he'd keep safe and carry on.

Little did i know that our paths would cross again and again and again.

Everything this guy does, I just love.

Above are pictures from one of his recent collections.

"Hassan Hajjaj's portraits from Marrakech capture the colour and spontaneity of his childhood in Morocco. His sitters – 'not just musicians but the snake charmer, henna girl, bad boy, male belly dancer' – often wear clothes he has designed, standing in spaces totally covered by patterns he has chosen, and the photographs are eventually set in a frame he has constructed."