Cathy's Art Diary

Bright exhibition   at Sotheby's of new work by Hassan Hajjaj. I have often seen Hajjaj's work in exhibition but not seen a whole show devoted to him. He produces colourful, clear photographic portraits surrounded by a frame of multiple food tins. These works featured London cultural figures. It's only reading the blurb again now that I've realised Hajjaj designs the clothes that the sitters wear. The show included a fascinating video of him taking the pictures. I hadn’t realised before that they are photographed in the street against a textile pinned to the wall behind. I liked the way the figures seem, to have been photographed from low down so that they proudly look down to the viewer. Closed 7 August 2026

Colourful exhibition at Somerset House of work by Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj. The first room was dominated by a fun sofa made of Coke crates and cable ties and this was surrounded by bright photos in frames decorated with tin cans. A lot of the pictures were of Moroccan women in Islamic dress on motorbikes. I loved a video installation which, at first sight, looked like photo portraits of a band of musicians in matching frames but you gradually realised they were gently reacting to music, tapping feet and figures, and in turn each become more animated and appeared as if carrying the tune. Closed on 7 January 2018