Artist of The People

Lunging, jumping, and vaulting, dance masters demonstrate capoeira, inviting onlookers in Sharjah’s Arts Square to join them. Few will have guessed that the 60-something man in loose white trousers and a light pink T-shirt, part of the crowd, was the artist Hassan Hajjaj. He organised the workshop as part of Sharjah Biennial 15 in February as a way to engage the public with his documentary Gnawa Capoeira Brothahood (2023). A deeply personal project that took two decades to come to fruition, it traces the historical similarities between Gnawa, a Moroccan performance art rooted in Sufi music, and the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira.

Most Popular, ProfilesAnna SeamanSeptember 27, 2023Photography, Adriana Lima, Aleaxander Nilere, Alo Wala, Hassan Hajjaj, Jajjah, Kesh Angels, Lynette Yiodam-BoakyeComment

The Return of Sharjah Biennial

After a three-year hiatus, Sharjah Biennial will return next March. It is a landmark moment also for the event, as SB15 will realise the dreams of its curator, who died in 2019. Here, Anna Seaman gives a short preview ahead of the 2023 event.

FeaturesAnna SeamanOctober 19, 2022Hassan Hajjaj, Sharjah Biennial, Okwui Enwezor, Sharjah Art Foundation

All Consuming Culture: Hassan Hajjaj

As part of an investigation into the use of Arabic script in art, I peered into the practice of Hassan Hajjaj to find out more about his fusion of Pop and Arabic culture and his overriding positivity.

Features, Most PopularAnna SeamanNovember 26, 2018Hassan Hajjaj, The Third Line, Taymour Grahne, Canvas Magazine, Arabic

Hassan Hajjaj to open solo in London

London-based photographic artist Hassan Hajjaj will open a solo show in Somerset House in October as part of 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair. La Caravane will open October 5