Hajar Benjida (1995) was still studying at HKU when her graduation project went viral. On the Instagram account @YoungThugaspaintings she posted selfies made by the American rapper Young Thug alongside old master paintings featuring characters in similar poses. Not much later she presented this series at the art fair Art Basel in Miami (US). The series originated from her love of hip hop, which also prompted her to ask well-known artists if they would allow her to photograph them backstage — they often did.
In 2018 Benjida secured an internship with hip hop photographer Cam Kirk, whose studio in Atlanta (US) is located opposite the infamous strip club Magic City where many rap artists started their careers. Benjida became fascinated by this place, showing her face as often as possible to get to know the dancers. For the series Atlanta Made Us Famous (2018-ongoing) she photographed the women backstage in the privacy and calm of their dressing rooms, sharply contrasting with the onstage chaos. Some of her interactions led to friendships, and as a result Benjida was later also allowed to photograph the women at home. The element of friendship makes these photographs both documentary and intimate. Above all they highlight the dancers’ power and agency. Back in the Netherlands, whenever Benjida was told the women’s poses were gender-role-enforcing and over-sexualized, she would stress that this attitude is part of the culture. Benjida: “I already knew women played a central role in the Atlanta rap scene. For my portrait series I went in search of their knowledge, their presence.”
Text: Esther Darley
Translation from Dutch to English: Marie Louise Schoondergang