Meet the regional artists charging for change and diversity in the art and fashion world.
Visual artist Ismail Zaidy draws inspiration from his Moroccan heritage. The self-trained photographer objectifies traditional dress in order to breakdown the connotations surrounding Muslim culture and to reveal the creativity of the people within it.
How has your heritage influenced your work?
My heritage influenced me with a whole style of dressing, from the djellaba to women wearing hijabs and niqab’s. I try to show that part of my heritage through my pictures.
What do you want your work to represent?
I hope to give a different view of Morocco and to show that there is a lot of talented and creative people who live here.
What do you love most about art?
I love the freedom to express yourself, to travel and find inspiration. I love how art challenges you to create and be creative. Art also brings people together and allows you to take away the differences in people and find something in common.
How did you develop your photographic style?
I develop my work through experimenting in a lot of different areas. I try to surround myself with people who are humble and more mature in the creative world, who can give me advice and push me to work harder.
How do you hope your artwork influences the younger generation?
I hope I inspire the younger generation to not be afraid to be themselves and to go after what they love. To use past experiences of judgement and negativity as the fire to show those people what you can achieve and create a positive change in the world.
