BIOGRAPHY
Abdelhamid Belahmidi is a Moroccan self-taught conceptual and documentary photographer, based in Casablanca. He uses photography to give an artistic expression to the invisibility of his living experiences.
Through his series, he highlights the reflection of his spirit, in a discovery journey of oneself in the urban abandoned places of Casablanca, in areas where the prints of the past drag on, and rarely noticed by others. In addition, his artwork “Where is the Sea” and “Copy machine” are a projection of his artistic approach, representing his experience as an employee, symbolizing different emotions he goes through, trying to overcome a living system of modernism and massive consumption, in an allegoric representation of ourselves into a hyper connected society.
In 2021 he co-founded the Collective “Kan3awd” that aims to tell visual stories through photography and filmmaking, working on topics related to post-modern society and people in constant change.
His works were exhibited at Sharjah Art Foundation for VPS8 (2020) and VPS10 (2022). And featured in group exhibitions at PHotoESPAÑA, Madrid (2018); and Cordoba Photography Biennale (2018).
Moreover, Abdelhamid is a documentary photographer. He covers the thirst of a generation for life in meetings as L’Boulevard Festival (2017 to 2019) and the FIFA World Cup 2018. In both ways, he transforms into pixels the message of youth, when celebrating their differences and expressing fully their identity.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
Modern life is moving quickly, and it seems like many of us are conditioned to make choices to keep up with the pace; in appearance we are given several choices and we have to make decisions for ourselves.
Considering society’s consumerist ideals and the representations/definitions it gives to success; are we truly willing to take the paths that shape who we are as individuals? Are we aware of self determination and conscious about the things that matter to us, despite the pressure exerted on us by the powerful forces? Are we really given choices or just being submitted to coercions and chains in disguise?
My interest in conceptual photography started in 2016 while working in sells and management fields. Overwhelmed by the fast pace of nowadays life, my frustration became bigger. The photography project I lead is a prism to question the world around me, and deconstruct sources of distraction such as mass and social medias and how they distort the way we conceive our individuality and the world.
In times where one pretends to be okay while living within bitter circumstances; My photography work thinks our way to emancipate making uncomfortable changes just in order to be more authentic to our will and redefine the essence behind our actions.