For generations many of the medium’s most accomplished practitioners have been drawn to Morocco, captivated by the country’s combination of breathtaking beauty and rich cultural diversity.
Collectively, the images they captured, together with the work of emergent domestic artists who explore the complexities of Moroccan society, construct a striking and thoroughly absorbing, multi-layered portrait of the country.
1. Hassan Hajaj – Kesh Angels 2010 © Hassan Hajaj
Moroccon-born, London-based multidisciplinary artist, Hassan Hajaj, has been dubbed ‘The Warhol of Marrakech’, due to his striking, graphic images, imbued with cultural references and symbolism. Best known for his colorful photographic portraits of young Moroccans whom he dresses in a contrasting blend of traditional Muslim, and counterfeit, luxury, brand-name garments, his series, Kesh Angels, depicts female motorcycle riders from Marrakech, and embodies the bold, subversive style for which he is renowned.
2. Ain Diab Beach, Casablanca, 2016 (From Casablanca Not the Movie) © Yoriyas
“… each time I travel the world I hear the same question: is Casablanca like the movie?..” – Moroccan photographer and multi disciplinary artist Yoriyas (real name Yassine Alaoui Ismaili), captures bold, chromatic images of everyday life across the globe, exemplified in his long-term photographic series ‘Casablanca Not the Movie’, a kaleidoscopic, and multi-layered portrait of his home city that challenges pervading stereotypes.
3. “Bedouin” © Ian Corless
Selected as an Editor’s Pick for our 2020 Travel Award, Ian Corless‘ striking portrait captures a Bedouin man as he steadfastly shields himself from the relentless winds and swirling sands. Once inhabited by a substantial number of nomadic people, Morocco has witnessed a dramatic decline, with only an estimated 25,000 remaining—a staggering decrease of around 65% in the last decade. Those who persist in this way of life face constant challenges, exacerbated by the impact of the climate crisis, which is causing severe droughts.
Corless’ image masterfully conveys the resilience of those who endure, with a compelling close-up that focuses on the man’s eyes as he confronts the unforgiving elements. It serves as a poignant testament to the determination of those who remain, and preserve their unique way of life in the face of massive adversity.
4. Female worker at Aït Ouallal, Morocco 2016 © Ilyes Griyeb
“Contemporary Morocco is a land of such strong contrasts that fathers and sons sometimes no longer have enough common words and references to be able to understand each other,”
In 2016, Paris-based photographer, Ilyes Griyeb returned to his native Morocco to photograph fruit farmers in the rural town of Ait Ouallal. Combining staged portraiture with shots of the farmers working, he captures a world untouched by the rapid modernisation that has engulfed much of the country; a world that was once normative, and yet now seems so alien to the majority of young Moroccans.
5. “Inbetween” © Costas Delhas
In this compelling photograph by Greek photographer Costas Delhas, two young men ride a motorcycle through the afternoon heat of the Moroccan capital. Against the backdrop of a pastel-orange wall, the composition is exquisite, their heads are artfully positioned within an almost circular shape, slightly distinct in shade, that almost resembles the sun. It captures perfectly the atmosphere of the scene and echoes the Morocco depicted by the great Harry Gruyaert. The play of light and shadow, coupled with the vibrant hues, a homage to the Magnum photographer’s masterful portrayals of the country.
6. “The Gnawa Trance” © Jorge Delgado-Ureña
Jorge Delgado-Ureña‘s photograph depicts a group of Gnawa people engaged in a traditional dance, emblematic of their heritage. Originally brought to the Maghreb as slaves, the Gnawa settled in Khamila, a small village near the Algerian border, around 1950. According to their beliefs, the music and dance performed by the Gnawa hold the power to evoke ancestral saints, believed to dispel evil, heal psychological ailments, and even remedy scorpion stings.
Delgado-Ureña’s artful use of a slow shutter speed adds an ethereal quality to the image, accentuating the graceful and otherworldly movements of the performers. A poignant tribute to this unique ritual which has garnered international recognition in recent years.
7. Khamlia, South of Morocco 2014 (from The Moroccans) © Leila Alaoui
Between 2010 and 2014, inspired by Robert Frank’s masterpiece, ‘The Americans’, as well as a desire to discover her own heritage, Leila Alaoui traveled throughout Morocco, capturing striking ethnographic portraits of her compatriots. Comprising a cross-section of Moroccan society, the intimate, and candid images, collectively form a rich, visual archive of the country’s rapidly evaporating cultures, and also act as a testament to the dexterity, and deep humanism of Alaoui, who tragically died in 2016 from injuries sustained in a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso.
8. Untitled. Zagora, Morocco © Eduardo Ortiz
This captivating image of a group of young boys enjoying a game of football under the late afternoon sun, is the work of Eduardo Ortiz, a nomadic, Chilean photographer who has dedicated his life to capturing life on the city streets across the globe. Thanks to his impeccable timing, thoughtful framing, and a keen eye color, Ortiz has captured an image that conveys the essence of the moment, inviting viewers to feel as though they are standing on the sidelines, absorbed in the joyous atmosphere of the match.
9. Berbers, Ait Sghir, Morocco 2015 © Youssef Boudlal
The foothills of the Atlas Mountains are home to groups of traditional Berbers, descendants of indigenous pre-Arab peoples of Northern Africa who have retained their languages and cultural habits. Although it is thought that many of the country’s population descend from Berber’s, few Moroccan’s identify as such, and the group is increasingly finding their way of life under threat, due, in large part, to extreme weather fluctuations.
In 2015, Youssef Boudlal made the long journey from his home in Casablanca to a Berber village in the Atlas mountains, where he captured a series of poignant images portraying the everyday lives of the inhabitants, exemplified in this image depicting a group of Berber men warming themselves on a fire. The series collectively acts as a visual archive to a rarely chronicled people, and as a testament to their enduring fortitude in the face of daily adversity.
10. “Camel ride” Western Sahara © Zack Fex
Zach Fex‘s mesmerizing photograph captures four camels and their riders traversing the undulating dunes of the Western Sahara desert, set against a backdrop of a pastel-hued sky. This region is complex, marked by historical disputes and conflicting claims. Once colonized by the Spanish, Western Sahara is now primarily occupied and controlled by Morocco, with a smaller portion claimed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic—a self-declared state acknowledged by 80 countries at various points. The image, tranquil and beautiful, contrasts with the underlying turbulence and complexities of the disputed territory, hiding a poignant duality beneath the surface.
All images © their respective owners
